Geoff's Gingerbread Recipe
This is my tried and true gingerbread recipe! The one behind all of my projects, big and small. It is excellent for a simple gingerbread cutout cookie, used for hanging ornaments, or house construction. I usually bake house pieces in advance and let them set for 7-10 days before decorating. This helps with humidity and shrinking.
Recipe Info
Ingredients
• 8oz butter, softened • 1 cup granulated sugar • 2 eggs, room temperature • 1 cup molasses • 6 cups all-purpose flour • 2 tsp ground ginger • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp ground cloves • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and black pepper. Set aside
2. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and molasses, beating on high speed until combined. Scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Next, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. If the butter appears slightly separated, that is alright.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer, mixing on the slowest speed possible until just combined.
4. Remove dough, gently knead before dividing in half. Place each piece onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each portion tightly before patting it down into a disk—chill disks for at least 3 hours, up to 3 days.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F. Roll the dough out onto a piece of lightly floured parchment until the dough reaches a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out the desired pieces and transfer them to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Try to match similarly sized pieces on the identical trays to facilitate consistent baking.
6. Bake the cookies for approximately 11-15 minutes. Be sure to rotate the pans halfway through; this will ensure all pieces bake evenly. Allow gingerbread pieces to cool for 5-8 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.