Gingerbread
Gingerbread is the spiced cookie of the holidays. Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves warm every bite, and the smell alone says winter is here.
Brown sugar and corn syrup give it a deep, dark sweetness. The dough bakes firm and holds a crisp edge.
One dough does double duty. Roll it out and cut gingerbread people, stars, and trees. Or stand the pieces up into the walls of a gingerbread house. It keeps its shape either way.
Gingerbread holds every line. It takes decoration well. Ice it, pipe it, or dot it with candy once the cookies cool.
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 174 | 25.74% | |
| Brown sugar | 216 | 31.95% | |
| Corn syrup | 444 | 65.68% | |
| Vanilla | 23 | 3.40% | |
| Ground ginger | 27 | 3.99% | |
| Ground cinnamon | 15 | 2.22% | |
| Ground cloves | 8 | 1.18% | |
| Salt | 4 | 0.59% | |
| Flour | 676 | 100.00% | |
| Total | 1,588 | 234.91% |
Prep the work area first. Clean every surface and measure out all the ingredients. Gather the tools too: the mixing bowl, a hand mixer, a spatula to scrape down the sides, a rolling pin, cookie cutters, and parchment paper.
Add the brown sugar and butter to a medium bowl. Cream them until the mixture turns smooth.
Add the vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, corn syrup, and salt. Mix until everything blends in evenly.
Add the flour. Mix until the dough turns fully smooth. Scrape down the sides along the way. Cover the dough and chill it for at least an hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Set the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to about ¼ inch thick.
Cut out shapes with the cookie cutters. Lift them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for eight to ten minutes. The gingerbread is done once the edges feel firm and turn a shade darker than the middle.
Move the cookies to a cooling rack and let the gingerbread cool evenly. Once cool, store them in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.