Classic Gingerbread Cookies

Make the ultimate holiday gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread cookies are a holiday classic for a reason – they are fun to make and decorate, and even more fun to eat.

Try out Chef Anna Olson’s Classic Gingerbread Cookies recipe below:

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Makes: Approximately 2 dozen

Ingredients

Gingerbread

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) fancy molasses
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 1/3 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5 ml) ground ginger
• 1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) fine salt
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cloves

Royal Icing:

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) meringue powder
• 4 cups (520 g) icing sugar, sifted
• 6 tbsp (90 ml) warm water

Directions

Cookies:

1. For the gingerbread, use an electric beater or a stand mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar together at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses and maple syrup until smooth. Add the egg and beat in the ginger.
2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves. Add these dry ingredients all at once to the butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined. Wrap the dough in two discs and chill for at least 2 hours. Preheat your LG ProBake Convection Slide-In Range to 325°F (160°C) and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to just under 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) thick.
4. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes and sizes and transfer these to the baking trays, 1-inch (2.5 cm) apart.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before decorating.

To make the royal icing:

1. Place the icing sugar, meringue powder and water into a bowl. Beat on low speed until the icing sugar is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the icing comes together and is fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside some of the icing in a bowl with plastic wrap.
2. To make a “flood” style of icing that spreads over the cookie, add just a little more water to the bowl of icing until it spreads on its own but will completely cover a cookie. Add food colouring in small amounts until you reach the colour intensity you want.
3. Spoon the “flood” style icing into a piping bag fitted with a small, plain tip. Pipe an outline on the cookie and then fill it in with icing, or pipe dots and use a toothpick to swirl the colours. Allow 4 to 6 hours for the icing to dry.
4. After drying, use the reserved icing to pipe additional details on top of the flooded layer then sprinkle with coloured sugars. Dry for an additional 4 hours.

Find more delicious recipes at lg.com/anna-olson.

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