Gingerbread Men Cookies Recipe

By Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day | December 1, 2010
Gingerbread men are a classic go-to during the holidays. Turn this recipe into a family affair by involving the kids in rolling out the dough, cutting the shapes and decorating with whatever candy, sprinkles or icing you have on hand.

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Recipe Ingredients

Gingerbread Men Mix
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Recipe Preparation
1. In a food processor, pulse the gingerbread mix, butter, egg, molasses and vanilla until a smooth dough forms. Divide dough into quarters and flatten each into a 1-in.-thick disk.

2. Place one portion of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper; roll to 1⁄8 in. thick. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 350°F. Working with one sheet of dough at a time, flour a 3 1⁄2-in. gingerbread man cutter and cut out cookies. Using a cookie spatula, transfer to cookie sheets. Gather and reroll dough scraps, refrigerating if necessary before cutting.

4. Bake until the cookies are set and the edges are beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Gingerbread men mix also makes a great gift! Simply whisk the mix ingredients in a large bowl and spoon the mixture into a 1-qt resealable plastic bag. Wrap as you wish and be sure to include the recipe instructions. (Print out this present-perfect version)