Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell for 12 Days of Cookies 2008

Rated: 3 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (18)

Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
60 (1 1/2-inch to 2-inch) cookies

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 5 min
Cook: 25 min
Total:: 2 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
6 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon ginger
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup honey
1 3/4 cups sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together in a large bowl, and set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the butter, honey, sugar, lemon juice and the lemon and orange zest. Bring this to medium heat and cook until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to about room temperature and beat in the eggs.

Make a well in the flour/spice mixture and add the egg/sugar mixture to the well. Using a fork, begin to gradually incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. When the flour has mostly been incorporated, turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and gently knead until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Knead in a little more flour if the dough seems sticky. Chill dough for 1 hour or overnight.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to an even thickness of about 1/4-inch. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookies are firm and lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 3 to 4 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

When the cookies are completely cool decorate, as desired.

Cook's Note: If you are planning to hang the cookies, make a hole for the string before baking.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Gingerbread Cookies
Jen Islip Terrace, NY 12-23-2009
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Yikes!
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

UGH! These cookies just did not work out for me. The dough just would not form and turned into a million crumbles no matter... how much I worked with it! After a while i decided just to use the rolling pin to roll out the dough even though it was still extremely crumbly. Also, I took the cookies out of the oven a little early, as some other reviews recommended, and they did not seem hard. However, after a few minutes, they were hard as a rock! I even added some extra butter and rolled out the dough with a bit of confectioners sugar, and they still tasted like pure flour with an aftertaste of citrus. Very disappointed!!Read more
recipe Gingerbread Cookies
emily bayside, NY 12-09-2009
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Question
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

what does inactive prep mean??
recipe Gingerbread Cookies
Deborah Corvallis, OR 12-24-2008
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Great cookies!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

The only thing I can think of that people might be doing wrong with this recipe is using baking soda instead of powder. I... got a little nervous when I read the other reviews, so I used a whole stick of butter. My lemons were very juicy, so I had to add more flour to be able to handle the dough. I found while I was baking them that shorter time meant softer cookies. It all depends on how crunchy you like your cookies. I like Amanda's ideas. I will try them the next time I use the recipe, but I think it is great the way it is. The citrus gives the cookies a very interesting flavor. I made some sandwich cookies out of some with cinnamon buttercream filling and red hots. They were really good. It is definitely a keeper!Read more
recipe Gingerbread Cookies
Amanda Independence, MO 12-22-2008
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Here are the changes that need to be made for an AWESOME cookie!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I stole ideas from another review and they were great! Double the ginger, only bake for 10 MINUTES, and use powdered sugar to... roll them out in instead of flour. I love them and have had great reviews from my guests! Don't give up on this recipe!Read more
recipe Gingerbread Cookies
Nancy Naperville, IL 12-19-2008
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Worst cookies ever
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

These cookies were so hard, I couldn't even eat one. Also, they had a strong taste of baking powder. I threw them out.
recipe Gingerbread Cookies
null null, null 12-15-2008
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Delicious
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I made this recipe and I thought they were very good. Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda... two different... products and it can quickly change the results. Read more