My little seven-year-old Reese is a gingerbread fanatic. This still surprises me greatly, considering she is particular in her food choices. For this recipe, we both felt that we should really celebrate the spices and flavor, and kick it up a notch. So our version is just sweet and spicy enough to make them extremely addictive and memorable.

Gingery Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

Sweetapolita gingerbread cookies
Courtesy of Clarkson Potter
Makes about 24 medium cookies

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/8 cups (450 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (170 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2/3 cup (240 g) cooking molasses (see Note)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Note: For a milder molasses flavor, use “fancy” or unsulphured molasses. For a more robust (and darker brown) cookie, use cooking molasses.

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until it becomes a pale paste (you don’t want it to be super-fluffy, or the cookies will expand when baking), about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat well. Add the molasses and vanilla and beat well. Reduce the mixer speed to the lowest setting, and gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just incorporated (do not over-mix). Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap, and press it into a disc. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Put a large piece of parchment on a work surface and sprinkle with flour. Unwrap the chilled dough and put it on the parchment. Put two 1/4-inch wooden dowels on either side of the dough and sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour. Put a second sheet of parchment on top. Roll out the dough until it’s flush with the dowels. If the dough is sticking, add a bit more flour. Slide the parchment and dough onto a board and freeze for at least 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment. Remove the dough from the freezer, and cut out shapes using the cutters of your choice. Put the shapes about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Freeze for 15 minutes.
  5. Bake the cookies until the edges are just crisp but not dark brown, 12 to 14 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes. Gently transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
  6. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Find more of Alyea’s recipes at sweetapolita.com.

Reprinted from The Sweetapolita Bakebook. Copyright © 2015 by Rosie Alyea. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.