gingerbread men

One of my favorite things to do at Christmastime is bake gingerbread men. It seems like I am always trying out a new recipe. My ideal gingerbread men are soft, but sort of crunchy on the outside, spicy, and maybe even a little salty. Last year I made these. They were good, but a bit too crispy for me (more like a gingersnap). This year I made these:


Gingerbread Men
adapted from allrecipes

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
2 egg yolks
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cloves
2 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Stir in molasses and yolks. Combine the dry ingredients and blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness, then cut into shapes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.


They were delightful. In fact, this might be my new go-to recipe. I usually roll my cookies between two sheets of wax or parchment paper, but I think these could have benefited from a little extra flour (the dough was pretty sticky, even when chilled). So next time I think I'll just roll them on a lightly floured surface. I baked mine for 9 minutes, but you need to watch them carefully. You almost want them a tiny bit undercooked, otherwise they will be too crispy. As soon as mine were cool, I put them in an airtight container to keep them soft, and so far, so good. Spread liberally with cream cheese frosting and chocolate chips and you will be in Christmas heaven.