Small-batch Gingerbread Cookies With Faux Royal Icing
This perfect sweet and spicy Small-batch Gingerbread Cookie recipe will make 6 to 8 large cookies and about 2 dozen mini gingerbread cookies.
Servings 8 large cookies
Calories 189kcal
Ingredients
Gingerbread
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135g) all-purpose flour measured by weight or using the spoon and sweep method*
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (24g) vegetable shortening room temperature*
- 3 tablespoons (38g) packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg yolk
Faux Royal Icing
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookies
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, use a hand-held electric mixer to beat butter and vegetable shortening until well-combined. Add sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add molasses and egg yolk and beat until completely incorporated.
- Add flour one-third at a time and use a spoon to stir until well-mixed and no streaks of dry flour remain.
- Roll the dough out 1/4-inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper, slide parchment paper and dough onto a baking sheet or other flat surface, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Cut out cookies, re-rolling dough between parchment paper as needed. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow cookies to firm up so they don't spread too much in the oven.
- Bake for 9 to 14 minutes depending on cookie size, until edges are set. Cool on cookie sheet until cool enough to handle and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Faux Royal Icing
- Whisk together powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of the milk, and vanilla. Add milk by the 1/4 teaspoon until icing reaches a consistency where if you run a knife through it, it takes 20 seconds to fill back in completely. Transfer icing to a piping bag or disposable plastic bag with the tip cut off and go wild decorating!
- Allow icing 5 to 10 minutes to set before eating and enjoy!
Notes
*Correct flour measurement is very important in this recipe. For best results, measure by weight or the spoon and sweep method (stir the flour in your container to fluff it up and then spoon it into your measuring cup, sweep excess off with the flat of a knife).
*If you don't have shortening, you can replace it with the same amount of butter (for 1/4 cup butter total).
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal