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Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing

Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing
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Classic soft and chewy gingerbread cookies perfectly spiced and adorned with beautiful, customizable royal icing.

Ingredients

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  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (50g)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature (56g)
  • 1/4 cup dark molasses (70g)
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (290g)
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (454g)
  • 3 Tbsp meringue powder (28g)
  • 1/3 cup water, room temp (80g)
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla or almond extract (24g)
  • Additional water to bring to a flooding consistency
  • Red Gel food coloring
  • Green Gel food coloring
  • Black Gel food coloring
  • 1 cup white sanding sugar – optional

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed.
  2. Mix until the mixture becomes lighter in color, about 2 minutes.
  3. Mix in the egg and molasses on medium speed until combined.
  4. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
  5. Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and salt into the wet ingredients.
  6. Mix on low speed until just combined.
  7. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
  8. Divide the dough in half.
  9. Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap.
  10. Flatten each dough portion into a rectangle about 1/2 inch tall.
  11. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  12. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) about 30 minutes before rolling out the dough.
  13. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
  14. Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, leaving the other to chill.
  15. Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap flat on your counter.
  16. Dust the top of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.
  17. Roll the chilled dough to be 1/4 inch thick.
  18. Cut out shapes with a flour-dusted cookie cutter.
  19. Place the cut-out cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  20. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 10-11 minutes on the middle rack of your oven.
  21. Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes.
  22. Transfer the cooled cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
  23. While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps.
  24. Rewrap the dough scraps in plastic wrap and pop them back in the fridge to chill.
  25. Pull out the second chilled portion of dough and repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking steps.
  26. Repeat with the chilled dough scraps.
  27. While the cookies bake and cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl.
  28. Add 1/3 cup water and the vanilla or almond extract.
  29. Mix at a low speed with a whisk or paddle attachment to incorporate the liquid.
  30. Increase to a medium speed and mix until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a stand mixer.
  31. Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is properly mixed.
  32. Mix in additional water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until a soft peak consistency is reached (icing curls back onto itself but holds shape).
  33. Scoop 8 ounces (about 1 cup) of the uncolored icing into a large piping bag and seal the top.
  34. Scoop 2 ounces (about 1/4 cup) of icing into a separate small bowl.
  35. Color this icing red with a generous squirt of red gel food coloring.
  36. Scoop the red icing into a small piping bag and seal the top.
  37. Scoop 2 ounces (about 1/4 cup) of icing into a separate small bowl.
  38. Color this icing green with a generous squirt of green gel food coloring.
  39. Scoop the green icing into a small piping bag and seal the top.
  40. Scoop 3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) of icing into a separate small bowl.
  41. Color this icing black with a generous squirt of black gel food coloring.
  42. Scoop the black icing into a small piping bag and seal the top.
  43. Thin out the remaining white icing by adding more water, 1 tsp at a time, until it reaches flood consistency (runs off spatula in a thick stream and settles within 8 seconds).
  44. Pour the thinned white icing into a large piping bag and seal the top.
  45. When ready to decorate fully cooled cookies, cut the tips of the piping bags to create a very small opening (1-2 millimeters).
  46. Use the thicker consistency icing to decorate cookies with faces and swirls.
  47. For large sections of white icing that look like drips, outline the area with the thicker white icing.
  48. Flood the inside of the outline with the thinner white icing.
  49. If desired, sprinkle white sanding sugar over the icing while it is still wet.
  50. Let the cookies dry for a few hours until the icing is firm to the touch before serving or storing.

Notes

Always measure flour by fluffing it first, then spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off.
Ensure butter and egg are at room temperature for the best dough consistency.
Don’t skip the dough chilling step; it prevents spreading and makes rolling easier.
For soft cookies, slightly underbake them; they will continue to set on the hot pan.

Find it online: https://theflakytruth.com/easy-gingerbread-cookies-royal-icing/