Gingerbread Cookies (2024)

FAQs

How to know when gingerbread men are done? ›

So how do you know that they're done? Here's how to tell if gingerbread cookies are done: They'll be firmly set. They'll be a lovely medium-brown color.

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

Medium Or Dark Molasses

“It adds enough bold flavor and sweet notes with a hint of bitterness to any recipe, which is exactly what you want for making gingerbread cookies.” Bourdon added that it's also versatile and can be used for marinades, baked beans, sauces, breads and recipes for other foods.

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

Bake for 12 minutes for light golden and mostly soft (though slightly crisp on edges), or 14 minutes for deeper golden and crisp. The gingerbread men will be soft out of the oven but will firm up as they cool. Note however even crisp gingerbread men soften the next day.

Bake gingerbread until dry to the touch and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Immediately cut along pre-scored lines with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Cool completely in pan, then transfer cutouts to a safe place. Scraps can be nibbled, or ground in a food processor to use in recipes that call for cookie crumbs.

The toothpick test is one of the best ways to tell if gingerbread is finished baking. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or, preferably, with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter).

Microwaving them. If you cover your cookies with a wet paper towel and nuke them for a few seconds, they should soften up enough to eat.

There are a few unique additions that are key to this recipe. Blackstrap Molasses – Blackstrap has a stronger flavor than regular un-sulfured molasses. No shortcuts here, get the blackstrap molasses. Dark Brown Sugar – Make sure to use this type of brown sugar as it has more moisture because of the additional molasses.

Honey has a very similar texture to molasses. Even though it doesn't have quite the same caramel-like flavor, it'll work in a pinch: You can generally replace 1 cup of molasses with 1 cup of honey.

Is grandma's molasses considered blackstrap molasses? ›

Note: This is not blackstrap molasses. Grandma's molasses is a mild molasses from the first processing of the sugar cane and has a relatively high sugar content, while blackstrap molasses is the remnant from the third processing and has the maximum amount of sugar removed.

Are there any substitutes for molasses? It won't taste exactly the same, but maple syrup can work in a pinch.

Factor in two days when making the gingerbread dough as it needs to chill overnight. To get ahead though, the dough can be made up to two weeks in advance and kept in the fridge, just remember to take it out of the fridge half an hour or so before rolling out!

Needing to be foiled, gingerbread loves whipped cream. But it also takes to tart winter fruits like a shortcake to strawberries. Poached or broiled pineapple sings alongside gingerbread, as do a few spoonfuls of pomelo curd, garnished with candied pomelo peel.

After you have baked your gingerbread cookies and they are decorated perfectly, they will last for 4-6 weeks. Gingerbread is a fairly dry type of cookie which extends it's shelf life. Less moisture means the cookies will be more resistant to mold.

Visual cues

Here are some signs to look out for: Colour: Raw or undercooked cookies tend to have a pale appearance, lacking that golden or slightly browned hue that indicates they're fully baked. Watch for cookies that still have a doughy or unbaked look. Texture: Touch the surface of the cookies gently.

Biscuits, scones and shortcakes are done when they have risen high and are golden brown. Baking times may need to be adjusted when substituting pans. If the biscuits, scones or shortcakes have risen and are golden brown, they should be done.

Anyhow, there are two ways you can cook gingerbread, but there is only one right answer. Gingerbread cookies should be soft. They should be supple. They should bend to your teeth before the cookie skin breaks and the crumbs fall all over you.