Monday, November 25, 2013

Soft Gingerbread Cookies


These cookies are fantastic with a glass of cold milk or a cup of tea or coffee.

They are a simple yet elegant cookie for a holiday cookie exchange. Santa will sing your praises if you put out a plate on Christmas eve!

Soft Gingerbread Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Watkins Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Watkins Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Ground Allspice
1/2 Watkins Ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Granulated Black Pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
Turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt, and black pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and shortening until smooth and well-combined. Add the brown sugar and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses and egg. Gradually mix in the flour mixture by adding spoonful by spoonful. While adding flour mixture keep the mixer set on low so that the flour does not fly out of the bowl. (Trust me I know from experience!) Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Form dough into balls about 3/4 inches in diameter. Dip the top in the sugar or roll the entire cookie in sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges of cookies are firm and look dry. Do not overbake so cookies are soft in the middle. I baked my cookies about 12-14 minutes. Time depends on the size of the dough balls. These cookies do not flatten out much so it is difficult to tell how done they are.

Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I made these cookies without the granulated black pepper and they were absolutely delicious. Adding the black pepper will make them more spicy.

I found the original recipe at theKitchn.