How to Make Perfect Gingerbread Cookies

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

How to Make Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
How to Make Perfect Gingerbread Cookies

No holiday cookie platter is complete without gingerbread cookies. I love them because they're simple, delicious and fun to make. But not every gingerbread cookie is created equal. Of course you want to offer your friends and family the best possible cookie. So here are a few tips to help you create the perfect gingerbread cookies:

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1) Lighten Them Up-It's easy to make gingerbread cookies healthier thanks to the bold flavor they get from molasses and spices. Cinnamon, ginger and cloves can easily mask the flavor of whole-wheat flour (which we use plenty of in our cookie recipes without a noticeable change in the result). And the rich flavor of molasses makes it easier to cut back on butter-a source of saturated fat. Since you do need some fat in cookies, we replace the butter with a little canola oil, which is mild in flavor and lower in saturated fat.
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2) Let the Dough Chill-Chill your dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it out. It makes it less likely to stick to the rolling pin or your countertop.

3) Don't Overwork Your Dough-Gingerbread cookies should be firm, but they should be tender, not tough. Toughness is caused by the dough being worked too much either by overmixing or rerolling too many times. Our recipe has some built-in protection against toughness in the form of white vinegar. The acid from the vinegar tenderizes the dough without imparting an off-taste

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4) Map Out Your Cookie Cuts-Making gingerbread cookies is like a puzzle. Once you've rolled your dough out, take some time to figure out where to place your cookie cutters to optimize space. Place your cutters close together and use smaller cookie cutters for the edges or other small spaces. This will help cut back on extra dough. Sure, you can roll out the scraps, but the more you roll your dough, the less tender it will be.

5) Keep Your Cookies Fresh-Cookies are best when they're not much more than a day or two old. Be sure to store them in an airtight container to keep them from drying out. If you love fresh-baked cookies, bake only a few at a time and freeze the rest of the dough to be used later. Our dough can be frozen for up to a month.
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The Carlsmith Family's Gingerbread Cookies
This soft, tender gingerbread cookie recipe comes from Laura Carlsmith in EatingWell's Interactive and Licensing department. Her children grew up making these whimsical cutouts, which quickly became a neighborhood favorite. The dough is pleasantly easy to work with for children and parents alike: it won't stick or tear when you roll it out. Dress the finished cookies up with a quick cookie glaze (see below), colored sugar or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Active time: 50 minutes | Total: 3 hours 35 minutes (including 2 hours chilling time) | To make ahead: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month. | Equipment: Cookie cutters

3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white vinegar

1. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter, oil and sugar in another large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg, molasses and vinegar; beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The dough will be very soft. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat several baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
3. Working with one portion of dough at a time, on a floured surface, roll the dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut cookies using cookie cutters. Gather scraps and reroll. Using a spatula, place the cookies 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.
4. Bake the cookies, one batch at a time, until puffed but still soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Makes about 80 cookies (2- to 3-inch).
Per cookie: 65 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 41 mg sodium, 64 mg potassium; 62 mg potassium.

A quick cookie glaze:
Combine 2 cups confectioners' sugar with 2-2 1/2 tablespoons warm water (depending on the desired consistency) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or orange juice (or lemon or lime juice). To tint the glaze, place small quantities in several small bowls. Add a little food coloring to each bowl and mix well. (Paste food colors give the most vivid results.) Allow glazed cookies to dry completely before packaging or storing.

What are your secrets for perfect gingerbread cookies?

By Hilary Meyer

Hilary Meyer
Hilary Meyer

EatingWell Associate Food Editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.



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