Gingerbread Cookies with Fluffy Royal Icing
Ingredients
DRY INGEDIENTS
- 5 ¾ c. unbleached flour
- ⅔ c. brown sugar
- ⅓ c. sugar
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 4 tsp. ginger
- 2 ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. clove
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 c. unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ c. molasses
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ⅓ c. buttermilk
ROYAL ICING
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- ½ c. water
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 c. confectioner sugar
- 3 egg whites
- ½ tsp. cream of tarter
- 2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
PREP
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
BATTER
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar until fluffy and light in color. Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla and mix together.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix together until batter just comes together. Chill 2 hours to overnight to let flavors meld together.
- Separate dough into 3 sections. Roll out eat section to 1/4" between 2 sheets of parchment paper cut to fit baking sheets.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies on baking sheet and chill in fridge for 5-10 minutes.
BAKE
- Pre-heat oven to 350°
- Bake cookies for about 12 minutes. Take out and let them sit on cookie sheet another 2-4 minutes and they will crisp up on the cookie sheet.
- If your going to re-roll any scraps, you will need to follow the same process: re-roll scraps between parchment paper, chill for at least 1 hour, cut shapes and chill again for 5-10 minutes before baking.
- Let cookies cool and frost with royal icing. Store in sealed container on counter 2-3 days or in freezer up to 6 months.
ROYAL ICING
- Place egg whites and cream of tarter in mixer with the whisk attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes
- In a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water place water and sprinkle in the gelatin over the water and let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and cook for 5-7 minutes or until sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add the sugar mixture to the mixer. Add powdered sugar into the egg whites and beat on medium high speed for another 10-12 minutes until stiff peak. Add in vanilla and white food color.
- This frosting will crust fast so you need to keep covered with a wet paper towel while you decorate the cookies.