Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses
This classic gingerbread cookies are made without additional molasses. Packed with a blend of warm spices (go ahead and use whatever spices you wish or have on hand!), they're simple to make, fun to eat and perfect for the holiday season!
Ingredients
- 100 g (½ cup) unsalted butter room temperature
- 150 g (¾ cup) dark brown sugar
- 75 g (¼ cup) honey
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking/bi-carb soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 g (1 tbsp) cocoa powder (see note 1)
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, add the butter, brown sugar and honey. Mix on low speed just to combine. Scrape down the bowl and beaters, then increase the speed to medium and beat until, light, airy and creamy - about 2-3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg yolk and vanilla. Beat again until incorporated.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg and black pepper.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined and no dry spots of flour remain.
- Scrape the dough onto some plastic wrap and pat into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface. Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough until it reaches an even 5mm (¼in) in thickness.
- Use the cookie cutters of your choosing to gently punch out the shapes, assuring that space is used as efficiently as possible to avoid too many scrap pieces. Pull away at the borders (see note 2) and, using a spatula, gently lift the cookies and place them - with about 1cm (½in) of space in between them.
- Move the trays to the oven and bake until the cookies are crisp around the edges but still soft in the middle - about 8-10 minutes. Allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cooking completely (see note 3).
Notes
- The cocoa powder is included here solely to achieve the dark colour associated with gingerbread. It does not impart any kind of chocolatey flavour. If this is not something you have on hand, it can be omitted, just note the finished cookies will look relatively pale.
- The scraps can be gathered, patted into a disc, wrapped in plastic and chilled for at least 30 minutes before re-rolling. I recommend only doing this once to avoid overworking the dough.
- If you plan to decorate the cookies with icing, ensure they are completely cooled before doing so.
Nutrition
Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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