Gingerbread Man: A Christmas Favorite

From brightly decorated trees and family get-togethers, there are so much to love about this holiday season. As Christmas coming near, bakeries throughout the country will begin experiencing a holiday rush with overflowing orders. Here at Fun Food Thailand, we especially like the smell of freshly baked cookies. There are many delicious seasonal cookies to choose from, this includes the delicious Gingerbread man. This baked goods are symbol of the holiday season, gingerbread man cookie has been a Christmas favorite since the 16th Century.

Gingerbread Man Cookie is one of the must-bake items during the Christmas season. This festive season makes you enjoy your favorite Gingerbread Men Cookie without counting the calories. This recipe has no butter, and no white flour. It is soft in their centers, crisp on their edges, perfectly spiced, molasses and brown sugar-sweetened baked goods. Just make sure you chill the cookie dough discs for at least 3 hours. You may love the flavor of these cookies when you use a full tablespoon each of ground ginger & ground cinnamon.

Ingredients:

• 10 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup of packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup of unsulphured molasses
• 1 Large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 3 & 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon of ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. In a large bowl of a Stand Mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 1 minute on medium speed until it becomes completely smooth and creamy. Put on the brown sugar and molasses, beat on medium-high speed until well incorporated. Then, beat in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, and cloves until combined. On low speed, gradually incorporate the mixture into the wet ingredients until combined. The dough will be quite thick and a little sticky. Divide the cookie dough into thirds and place each part onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each of them tightly and pat down to create a disc-shape. Chill the cookie dough discs for a minimum of 3 hours up to 3 days. Chilling is required for this recipe.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit (177° Celsius). Line 2 to 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Then, set aside.
4. Take out 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Lightly flour your work area, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Continually flour the work area as needed, this dough can be a little sticky. Roll out the disc until it becomes 1/4-inch thick. Cut out the gingerbread men shapes and place the shapes 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Roll the dough scraps until all the residual dough is shaped. Repeat the process with the remaining discs of cookie dough.
5. Bake the cookies for about 9 to 10 minutes until golden brown. If your cookie cutter is smaller than 4 inches, bake for 8 minutes. If your cookie cutter is larger than 4 inches, bake for 11 minutes. Your oven may have hot spots so be sure to rotate the pan once during baking.
6. Allow cookies to sit for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet to cool. Transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. They will come off the tray when cool enough. Once cooled, decorate onto your desired gingerbread man and finish with the sweets of your choice.

Make ahead tip:

Cookies stay fresh when covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked and decorated or not decorated cookies, freeze well for up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough discs, freeze well for up to three months. Thaw the dough overnight in the Refrigerator, then continue with STEP 3. This cookie dough is not sturdy enough for gingerbread houses recipe.

If your bakery is looking to add some festive flair to your countertops this season, Fun Food Thailand Ltd can help. Whether you are looking for a new sturdy Electric Stand Mixer or a reliable and versatile Commercial Oven, we have just what you need to get your holiday orders out the door. Call our expert team at +66 (0)98 398 9770 or email us at sales@funfoodthailand.com to find the equipment to suit your needs.