What happens if I don’t chill the gingerbread dough?

Chilling the gingerbread dough is very important; without it, rolling out the dough for shaping and handling the dough becomes very challenging. Also, the gingerbread men are prone to spreading in the oven if the dough isn't chilled beforehand.

Can I make gingerbread cookie dough in advance?

Yes, you can make gingerbread cookie dough well in advance! Once you make the dough store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Or you can freeze it for two months. Make sure to wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag.

Gingerbread Men

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Crisp, gingery and full of holiday spice, these gingerbread cookies are a holiday favourite.

Author: Alie Romano (adapted from Canadian Living)
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
Yield: 24 1x
Category: Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup (113 g) fancy molasses
1/4 cup (85 g) blackstrap (cooking) molasses
3 cups (384 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and both types of molasses to the butter mixture until well combined.
In a separate bowl add flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Mix together.
Add the flour mixture in 2 to 3 batches to the butter mixture, and mix well until dough rolls into a ball.
Divide dough in half and flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes or until firm.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325˚F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Once your dough is ready, roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface about 1/4 inch thick. If your dough is too cold to roll let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling.
Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter cut out men and place on your cookie sheet about an inch apart.
Bake for approx. 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are just starting to turn brown. They will firm up as they cool.
Transfer to a cooling rack.
Once cookies are cooled ice with Royal Icing (recipe Below).

Notes

Gingerbread men cookies last a long time. Store in an airtight container for 2 weeks at room temperature. Or freeze cookies for up to two months.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 Plain Cookie
Calories: 133
Sugar: 8.8g
Sodium: 84mg
Fat: 4.2g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 0
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 22.3g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 1.9
Cholesterol: 17mg

Find it online: https://bakingforfriends.com/gingerbread-men/