Because of the amount of moisture from the molasses, the scraps can be rerolled many times without toughening the dough.
Ingredients
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder*
- 8-10 tablespoons water, at room temperature
- Gel food coloring, optional
- Seasonal sprinkles and edible bling
Instructions
To make cookie dough: In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
Place butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs to the mixer bowl, followed by the molasses, and mix on medium-low until no streaks remain. Add flour mixture gradually, mixing until no dry ingredients are visible. The dough will be very soft and somewhat sticky at this point. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and separate into 2 portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until it is firm enough to roll out.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Have a small bowl with flour ready to liberally dust your work surface. Remove 1 portion of dough at a time from the refrigerator, unwrap and knead a few times by hand on the floured work surface to make the dough pliable. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin, and rotating the dough frequently with a bench scraper, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. You may need to flour under the dough several times to keep it from sticking. Cut shapes out of the dough using your favorite cookie cutters and save the scraps to reroll again.
Transfer the cut outs to the lined baking sheets, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed and the surface looks dry. Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once fully cooled, decorate or store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days until ready to decorate.
To make royal icing: Add the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With the mixer running on low speed, begin adding 8 tablespoons of the water. Gradually increase the speed to high, and whip for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy. If the icing looks too thick to pipe, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Divide the royal icing into several smaller bowls if you intend to tint it different colors. Using gel food coloring, add a few drops at a time and mix with a metal spoon or small spatula until desired intensity is achieved.
*Meringue powder can be found at stores that sell cake decorating supplies or ordered online.
