If you searched for the Best Gingerbread Man Recipe, you are in luck! This tried-and-true recipe is our family's favorite because these cookies are thick and soft. I usually make a double batch so that we are able to enjoy some as a family and then share the other batch for upcoming cookie decorating or cookie exchange parties. We use one batch of dough immediately, but then freeze the other half so that we are able to bake the cookies on party days. In today's post, I'll share the recipe and also tell you about how we use our FoodSaver to freeze extra dough.
Let's start with the recipe.
Recipe: The Best Soft Gingerbread Man Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
Directions
1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and then add to your mixing bowl.
3. Add the egg and beat.
4. Add the brown sugar and beat.
5. Add the molasses and water and beat.
6. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mix bowl until a dough forms and the ingredients look evenly distributed.
8. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 3 to 4 hours. (It's fine to refrigerate it overnight if you prefer.)
9. On a lightly floured counter, roll dough to approximately 1/4" thickness. Cut with your desired cookie cutters. (We used Ninja Bread Men cookie cutters!)
10. Grease your cookie sheets and place the cookies approximately 2" apart.
11. Bake for approximately 8 to 11 minutes until edges are firm.
12. Allow to cool before decorating.
As I mentioned, we use our FoodSaver and freeze an entire batch of this dough. I am not a big fan of cleaning up after making cookies, so we actually cut the dough into shapes before freezing them so that I don't have to worry about pulling out flour and making a mess to later. (Yes, that's a mom hack!)
If you aren't familiar with the FoodSaver® Space Saving Vacuum Sealing Appliance, let me share a quick overview. We love it because it is user friendly and saves 50% more space in the kitchen, while maintaining the same amount of vacuum sealing power as a larger appliance. The appliance keeps food fresh up to 5X longer and helps prevent freezer burn in comparison to ordinary storage methods. We love that it's easy to use, especially thanks to the easy bag alignment tool that helps with correct placement every time. Users will also appreciate the removable drip tray that makes it easy to clean. Personally, I love the convenience of being able to prep foods and save leftovers with little effort since the device makes it so easy. The retail price of this product is $99.99.
As I mentioned earlier, I like to make the cookie dough once and cut all of the shapes out at the same time before I freeze them since it saves me extra cleanup time down the road. Plus, freezing the dough in the respective shapes is nice because you may want to gift them to friends and neighbors. It's also nice to pull them out when you have guests because you get to bake them on the spot with such little effort. Personally, I use the FoodSaver pouches because they are a good size relative to the cookie cutter sizes that we use for our Ninja Bread Men. I just slip one layer of the cookies into a pouch, add a sheet of parchment paper, and then add a second layer of cookies.
I then use the FoodSaver to seal the bag.
It's so easy! Now they are easy to freeze for special days throughout the holiday season.
I hope that you enjoy our recipe and tips for freezing extra gingerbread dough for upcoming holiday guests and parties!
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