Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 piece fresh ginger, grated (2-inch, optional)

1 orange, zested (optional)

1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper (optional)

Sugar cookie icing, for decorating

Sprinkles, for decorating

Instructions

Step 1: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat until fully combined.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture with the mixer on low speed. Add the grated fresh ginger, orange zest, and black pepper if using. Mix just until the dough comes together without overmixing.

Step 3: Divide the dough in half and shape each into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, roll each half of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thickness and chill until firm.

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch wide cookie cutter to cut out shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.

Step 5: Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes until slightly puffed and set. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with the remaining dough. Once cooled, decorate the cookies with sugar icing and sprinkles as desired.

Tips & Variations

For extra flavor, add a pinch of ground black pepper or substitute part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier taste.

If you don’t have fresh ginger, omit it or increase the ground ginger slightly.

Chilling the dough is essential for easy rolling and clean cookie shapes.

Use parchment paper for rolling to avoid sticking and easy transfer to baking sheets.

FAQs

Can I use molasses substitute in this recipe?

Molasses gives gingerbread its characteristic deep flavor, but you can substitute with dark corn syrup or honey in a pinch. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.

How do I prevent my cookies from spreading too much?

Make sure your dough is well chilled before rolling and cutting. Also, avoid overmixing the dough, which can add too much air and cause spreading during baking.