Christmas Recipes — Molded Gingerbread Cookies with Sugar GlazeIngredients —Flour Mixtur

Christmas Recipes—Molded Gingerbread Cookies with Sugar Glaze


Ingredients—

Flour Mixture:

• 3 cups + 4 tbsp. unbleached flour  
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. salt


Liquid Mixture:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup molasses
• ½ cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tbsp. water


Clear Sugar Glaze:

• 2½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• ½ tsp. vanilla, if desired 
• food colouring, if desired 


Directions—

•To make the clear sugar glaze: Combine sugar, water, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla in a small bowl and mix until powdered sugar is moistened. Beat at medium speed until smooth, adding additional water if necessary. Tint with food colour.

•To make the gingerbread cookies: Combine the flour mixture and the liquid mixture together either by hand or in a heavy standard mixer using the flat blade (not the whisk). Mix until the dough holds together, adding 1 or 2 tbsp. of water only if necessary to bind the dough. Knead the dough into a solid mass and place into a tightly sealed zipper bag. Let the dough rest for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.

• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a plain rolling pin about ½ to ⅝ inch thick, depending on the depth of your cookie mold. Using a pastry brush, flour the surface of your cookie mold. Press firmly onto the flat surface of the dough and then lift the mold straight up. Re-flour the mold for every pressing.

• Cut and place the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Let cookies dry for 8 - 12 hours.

• Bake at 300°F for 12 minutes. Large cookies will need 14 - 15 minutes.

• If desired, glaze the gingerbread cookies as soon as they come out of the oven and before you remove them to a cooling rack.

• If needed, soften cookies with slices of apple on firm bread (rye) for a day or two. Keeps well.