Soft Batch Gingerbread Cookies

The Sweet Story of Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies have a rich and fascinating history that dates back to medieval Europe. The enticing aroma and delightful soft texture of these cookies have been a staple in holiday celebrations for generations. But why limit these mouth-watering delights to just the festive season? Today, we're whipping up a batch of Soft Batch Gingerbread Cookies that you can enjoy all year round!

Ingredients: What You'll Need

Below is a comprehensive list of the ingredients you'll need. We've made sure to include measurements in grams for accuracy, but have kept teaspoons and tablespoons for ease of use.

• 250g butter, at room temperature
• 240g granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 250g dark molasses
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 625g flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

How to Make The Best Soft Batch Gingerbread Cookies from Scratch?

1. Using a stand mixer creaming attachment (or a hand mixer), cream the butter, sugar and molasses together until pale and fluffy. This ensures you incorporate air into your batter which makes the dough more airy and soft.
2. Add the egg and vinegar and continue to mix until creamy.
3. At this stage, I change my stand mixer attachment to the regular mixing attachment. I sift in the dry ingredients using a fine sieve. This ensures we avoid lumps in our dough and also aerates our flour. When sifting, be sure to tap the sieve rather than forcing the ingredients through the sieve.
4. Mix in slow speed until you have a homogenous dough. Be careful not to over-mix. Over-mixing will result in a stiff dough.
5. Prepare the dough for refrigeration. What I do is use a cling film to wrap the dough and also slightly flatten it. This makes the dough quicker to chill and also easier to form when rolling.
6. After the dough has cooled and almost solid, it's time to roll it out. Be sure you are working in a cool room with a temperature that is more cool than normal This ensures your dough doesn't easily melt while shaping.
7. Flour a flat surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Get a portion of the dough that you are comfortable working with. You have more control if you work with smaller batches. I use a silicone mat so that I can easily clean up my surface.
8. Roll out the dough to around 6mm or 1/4 of an inch. You don't need to be precise, but remember not to roll out the dough too thin, as thinner doughs will tend to be more crunchy as they tend to bake faster. While rolling, be sure you have enough flour on both sides of the dough to ensure it does not stick. Again, be sure you are working in a cool environment to prevent the dough from melting and sticking!
9. Cut the dough into the desired shape and forms. This is the stage where I let the kids do their work. I give them the cookie cutters and they go crazy.
10. Line a baking tray with some parchment paper and transfer your creations into the pan. Remove the excess flour that you might have used to line the dough.
11. Preheat your oven to 170C or 340F. Bake the cookies for precisely 9 minutes - no longer. Baking longer will make them too crunchy, while baking them shorter will make them under-baked. Be sure to use an oven thermometer to measure your oven's temperature as most oven's indicators are inaccurate!
12. Once done baking, take out the cookies immediately and leave outside to cool. It's best to use a wire rack to cool them off to make some of the moisture escape from the bottom of the cookies. If you don't have one, it's ok, I don't think it makes a lot of difference!
13. Finally, let the cookies cool down before handling. The hotter the cookies, the softer they are, so you want to let them cool to make them easier to handle.
14. Decorate using a mix of egg white and powdered sugar, also known as Royal Icing. Use some food coloring to achieve the desired effect.

What Makes these Gingerbread Cookies Soft?

Softer cookies contain are less dry and therefore contain more moisture and fat.

Compared with a crispy cookie recipe, our recipe uses more molasses as well as more butter.

Dry cookies by comparison, uses less fat and less liquid.

Another way to ensure these cookies come out soft is by baking them for just the right amount of time at a slightly lower temperature. In our case, we bake our cookies at a slightly lower temperature of 170C or 340F rather than 180C or 350F, and we bake them at a slightly shorter time of around 9 minutes, not any more. Be sure to use an oven thermometer as most ovens indicators are mostly incorrect. I realized my oven's knob indicator is 10C above what is actually the temperature inside the oven.

Lastly, shaping your dough to be thicker will ensure you have a softer cookie. This is because thicker doughs will cook longer. Just be careful not to undercook your dough!

Practice makes perfect! To achieve the best results, be sure to follow the measurements in our recipe and also do some trial and error. Make these in batches so you can modify the bake time, thickness or even the quantity of the ingredients in the cookie if you prefer. However, following this recipe to the dot is probably the best way to achieve the perfect results!

Dishin' on Nutrition: What's in a Cookie?

Given the ingredients used, the recipe makes about 30 servings, with each serving being approximately 50 grams. Here's a rough breakdown of the nutrition information per serving:

• Calories: 140
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Protein: 2g
• Fat: 6g
• Sodium: 110mg
• Cholesterol: 20mg

(Note: This is an estimation and could vary slightly.)

Ingredient Substitutes: Just in Case

Don't have molasses on hand? You can substitute it with an equal amount of dark corn syrup, honey, or brown sugar. If you find yourself out of ground cloves, allspice makes a great substitute.

FAQ

How can I keep my cookies soft?

Store your cookies in an airtight container with a slice of white bread. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, keeping them soft and fresh for longer.

Can I freeze the cookie dough for later?

Absolutely! This dough freezes well. Just make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and it can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.

Can I use this recipe for gingerbread houses?

While these cookies are delicious, their soft texture may not be firm enough for constructing a gingerbread house. For that, you'd likely need a sturdier dough.

What if I don't have a blue rolling pin guide?

No worries! Just aim for about 1/4 inch thickness when you roll out your dough. The thickness of the dough is key to achieving the soft, chewy texture these cookies are known for.

How long will these cookies stay fresh?

When stored properly, these cookies can stay fresh for up to a week. The key is to keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.