These holiday-themed cookies combine all of the fun and deliciousness of a gingerbread house without the assembly. Use a house-shaped cookie cutter to punch out your gingerbread dough, bake, then decorate in any fun way you choose!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 24 to 36 gingerbread house cookies |
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, melted
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water
- Assorted decorations
Instructions
- Make the cookies: Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and shortening, the brown sugar and molasses; beat in the egg with a mixer on medium speed. Reduce the speed to low, then beat in the flour mixture in 2 additions until combined. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap and pat into disks. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until 1/4 inch thick, dusting with flour as needed. Cut out cookies using a 3- to 4-inch house-shaped cookie cutter; arrange 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Refrigerate the cutouts 15 minutes. 3. Bake the cookies until they’re golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
- Make the icing: Sift the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder into a large bowl. Beat in the water with a mixer on medium speed until the icing is glossy with soft peaks; transfer to a piping bag (or use a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner). Pipe onto the cookies, using the icing to attach decorations. Let the icing set, at least 2 hours.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 30 servings |
| Calories | 184 |
| Total Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 26 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 12 mg |
| Sodium | 121 mg |