Homemade Gingerbread Recipe

Gingerbread is a quintessential holiday flavor. From making gingerbread houses to gingerbread men, women and children, it’s important to get the right consistency on your gingerbread bake since that is the fundamental flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses or dark corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, butter, baking soda, ginger, cloves, molasses, and cinnamon together and mix on a medium setting. Make sure the mixture is well combined.

2. Then slowly add in the flour and water, to allow the dough to toughen up. Continue to mix on a medium setting until the dough is firm. Then place it inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Once the dough is firm, roll it out in one big sheet on a countertop or baking sheet. Make sure the layer is even. If desired, use a cookie cutter or knife to cut out gingerbread man shapes in the dough. Then remove the excess dough that you’re not going to bake and leave the cut outs on the baking sheet.

4. You can combine and roll out the excess gingerbread dough to make even more gingerbread cookies if desired, or place it in the refrigerator and do it another time.

5. Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until they have turned a deep golden brown and feel firm. If they need more time, check to make sure they are not burned every minute or so.

6. Remove the cookies from the oven and gently place them on a cooling rack. You can’t decorate the cookies until they are fully cooled, but you can use this time to prepare any icing or sugar decorations you wish to use.