That’s correct. This recipe makes light and dark gingerbread cookies. Because sometimes it’s not a bad thing to indulge our culture of gratification and have exactly what we want. In this case, it’s exactly the gingerbread cookie you crave, whether that means the light gingerbread cookie that’s mild and sweet and light in color or the dark gingerbread cookie that’s stronger, spicier, and visually more arresting owing to the inclusion of dark molasses. One isn’t inherently lovelier than the other. Just different.–Renee Schettler
Light and Dark Gingerbread Cookies
Because some like more sugar, and others more spice, I highly recommend you make both light and dark gingerbread this year.
Ingredients
For the light gingerbread cookie dough
- 1/2 cup light molasses, golden syrup, or honey*
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the dark gingerbread cookie dough
- 1/4 cup dark molasses (blackstrap molasses)
- 3 tablespoons light molasses, golden syrup, or honey
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
Make the light gingerbread cookie dough
- In a large, deep-sided saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the light molasses, sugar, butter, lemon zest, and spices and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and vigorously beat in the baking soda. Be careful as the mixture will froth up. Mix briefly just until combined and then let cool for 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt and then fold it into the mixture in batches, using a wooden spoon or a stand mixer. Beat in the egg until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture or the cookies will spread during baking. The dough will be very sticky.
- Scrape the dough onto a clean surface and knead until just smooth, about 7 minutes. Do not add any flour. (Alternately, you can use the dough hook on a stand mixer and knead for about 5 minutes.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours. (You may need to let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes prior to being able to roll it.)
Make the dark gingerbread cookie dough
- Meanwhile, in a large, deep-sided saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the dark and light molasses, sugar, butter, orange zest, and spices and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and vigorously beat in the baking soda. Be careful as the mixture will froth up. Mix briefly just until combined and then let cool for 15 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour and salt and then add the baking soda mixture in batches. Beat in the egg until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture or the cookies will spread during baking. The dough will be very sticky.
- Use the dough hook on your stand mixer to knead the dough for about 5 minutes or scrape the dough onto parchment paper and knead until just smooth, about 7 minutes. The dough will be quite sticky as you start to knead but do not add any flour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours. (You may need to let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes prior to being able to roll it.)
Roll out and bake the gingerbread cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Adjust the oven rack to the center position. Cut a large piece of parchment paper.
- On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out the gingerbread dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (6 mm). Use cookie cutters or gingerbread house templates to cut shapes. Leaving the dough on the parchment, carefully transfer everything to a rimmed baking sheet. Gather any scraps of gingerbread cookie dough and either roll them out on a second piece of parchment paper and make more shapes or wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for another day. (Never throw away scraps of gingerbread cookie dough!) Place the baking sheet with the gingerbread cookie dough in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake in the oven in batches until the cookies are golden brown at the edges, 10 to 20 minutes for smaller pieces and 20 to 25 minutes for larger pieces. (The longer the baking time, the stiffer the gingerbread cookies, so if you are constructing a gingerbread house or something similar that requires support, bake the cookies until a little more golden than you might usually bake a cookie. The oven temperature in this recipe is intentionally lower than many cookie recipes to help the dough hold its shape well and for the cookies to bake through entirely without over browning the surface.) Let the gingerbread cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely. You can keep the gingerbread cookies at room temperature in a covered container for up to several days. Click here for more information on storing and freezing your cookies. If constructing a gingerbread house, it will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks if kept out of direct light and in a cool, dry environment.
Notes
What You Need To Know About Honey In Cookies
Just sharing a word of caution from the author that if you opt to use honey in cookie dough, it can cause the cookies to spread a little during baking. Just thought you should know in case you’re seeking cookies that have super precise and straight lines.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 46 kcalCarbohydrates: 8 gProtein: 1 gFat: 2 gSaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4 gTrans Fat: 0.1 gCholesterol: 6 mgSodium: 38 mgFiber: 0.2 gSugar: 3 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe © 2016 Mima Sinclair. Photo © 2016 Tara Fisher . All rights reserved.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Perfect gingerbread cookies recipe! Your house will smell wonderful, too! I kneaded the first batch of dough by hand for 7 minutes and it was a total mess. The dough is VERY sticky at this point and I ended up with giant gingerbread hands. For the second batch, I used my dough hook on the mixer for 5 minutes and it was fine. Freezing the gingerbread cookie dough for 10 minutes is the secret to keeping the pieces from spreading while baking. The larger pieces baked for 22 minutes and even the smaller ones baked for 15 to 20 minutes. Every piece came out perfectly.
Hello again David,
I made the light and dark gingerbread today—I followed both recipes perfectly. I’ve made a lot of gingerbread in my time. The dough of the dark gingerbread gave me high hopes—but when the cookies finished baking, they turned out barely darker than the light gingerbread. In the picture I have attached, the dark gingerbread cookie is overlayed on the light gingerbread dough disc. I really really, really want dark gingerbread. I did not substitute any ingredients. Blackstrap molasses, dark brown sugar, I followed the recipe. My Christmas Wish is to get dark gingerbread. I’d love for you to problem shoot with me.
I share your frustrations at finding the right dark cookie recipe. One issue might be as the chef had suggested to me before, actually weighing the flour. I’ve never once had to do this for a recipe with baking before (I’m no chef but Ive never ran into a problem measuring flour with measuring cups!), but maybe for some reason it really matters with ginger breads.
I have otherwise never been able to figure out why my gingerbreads do not come out dark like I (and you) have come across–that REALLY dark cookie like in the photo. The real dark ones I’ve had have the flavor profile I like the most, but I tried probably 7 different recipes last year, including Greek ones using wine! And none were that dark, dark color or taste. I will say, this recipe here is the one I ended up sticking with because it had the best flavor profile. I think the secret to a good gingerbread cookie is the orange! good luck and if you figure it out, please let me know!! rjames0922@gmail.com
-rebecca
Rebecca, Kristen and I have been corresponding via email. I’ve done extensive research into this, and I’ve discovered a few things
First, IT’S NOT YOU! I’ve found a ton of comments online from people who have the same issue. Here are some things I’ve discovered that bakers do to darken the color of the gingerbread.
1. Dark cocoa powder: Adding a small amount of Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is darker and less acidic than natural cocoa, can significantly darken the dough without overpowering the gingerbread flavor. (I discovered that the cookbook author who created this recipe adds cocoa to her doughs, and that made me wonder if THAT is what was done in the photo. It didn’t say in the materials we received from the publisher.)
2. Food coloring: Some bakers use black food coloring gel to enhance the darkness. A little goes a long way.
3. Baking soda: Increasing the amount of baking soda can promote browning reactions during baking, resulting in a darker cookie. (I’m not convinced this will give you the dark color you’re after.)
4. Extended resting time: Letting the dough rest in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours before baking can deepen the color as the molasses interacts with other ingredients. (This intrigues me. When I discovered that letting cookie dough recipe in the fridge for 36 hours vastly improved the flavor, color, and texture, it was a breakthrough.)
5. Espresso powder: A small amount can enhance both color and flavor depth.
6. Longer baking time: Baking the cookies a bit longer at a slightly lower temperature can achieve a darker result without burning. (I don’t think this will gi e you want you’re looking for.)
7. Brush with molasses: Some bakers brush the cookies with a mixture of molasses and water right after baking for an extra dark shine.
That’s about all that I’ve uncovered so far. But know that I’m on the case.
Thanks for your assistance and reaching out!! I finally figured out to just slowly add flour a quarter cup at a time folding it in by hand with my wooden spoon. My friend just gave me my stand mixer Friday and I’m got sure the slow setting is working properly, but it seems like a stand mixer just beats this dough way too hard. 3rd attempt was the charm. I almost tried a different recipe, but I studied about 7 different ones and yours seemed the most straight forward and the most ideal ratio of all the ingredients and flavors… Each time I cooked the molasses for your recipe, my nose said, this is the one. So I gave it one more go ! When I set my mind to do something… Well, I’m stubborn!
I ended up getting the right consistency at
2 1/2 cups of flour, folding it in 1/4 cup at a time. I also added the egg to the wet mix before adding flour instead of after the flour as the recipe says to do. I probably could have even done 2 1/4 cups flour, but I’m happy with how they came out. I only needed to bake them for 8 minutes rather then 10-20 as the recipe recommends..I double checked my oven temp with an oven thermometer just to be sure I had the temp right.
The dough was actually really easy to work with. No flour needed to roll and cut, and at first I rolled it between parchment but then I realized I didn’t even need that, even with no flour on the table or rolling pin. The flavor is spot on. I think the orange really hits it home.
I’ve tried a handful or so of gingerbread recipes and I think yours is the best for flavor and ease of working with the dough, (once I figured out how!!!). Perhaps a clarifying sentence could be added to the recipe to add the flour a little at a time until the proper consistency is reached rather than 4cups… I’m still baffled as to why I needed so much less than everyone else who’s used your recipe. 🤷🏼♀️ Sorry for all the typos in my email reply to you, I have trouble with my keyboard in Gmail on my phone.
Gingerbread is so strange, isn’t it? And everyone likes it different. I find gingerbread dough to be one of the more finicky that I’ve worked with- rolled too thin, they bake up like biscuits. Rolled too thick, they really spread. And it can be difficult to determine cook time to get that perfect chewy but also slightly crispy consistency. Anyway, thanks again and have a great holiday!
Thanks for that, Rebecca. I’m glad they worked for you. But definitely consider investing in dry measuring cups or, better yet, a scale. I always use weights when baking. It’s foolproof!
thank you so much for all that information David! I will give some of those a try. I’m excited to play with those different techniques. thanks again!
Rebecca
My pleasure, Rebecca!
I was really excited about this recipe when I was mixing up the molasses, it smelled really good and seemed like the recipe I’ve been looking for. I’m puzzled as to why it mixed up very dry and crumbly. I checked my ingredient measurements several times, thinking maybe I accidentally added too much flour, because the dough was REALLY dry after mixed, like tea cookie crumbly. I even used a quarter cup less flour when mixing up the “dark” batch, thinking it would result in a stickier batter that’s typical for gingerbread, and this did seem to help and resulted in what seemed like a proper consistency to roll out and cut.
The only thing I can ascertain is that I misread and added the wet slowly into the dry rather than folding the dry into the wet. I had planned on chilling it while I worked on another recipe, so I wrapped it in parchment as a flat disc and put it in the fridge. I thought maybe it wasn’t meant to be chilled, but the recipe calls for the dough to be chilled thoroughly.
When I took the dough out of my fridge, it was rock solid, and no amount of rest softened it. I even tried nuking it just to see if it would soften it at all, and it did not. I don’t understand what happened. Everything I’ve read online says it doesn’t really matter if you add wet into dry or dry into wet. This was my first time using my stand mixer, but I don’t think it was overbeaten either, I’ve made tons of cookies in the past, chewy and shortbread style, so I’m accustomed to properly beating dough without overworking it. I’m really bummed.
It really seemed like a great recipe by the smell of it and the ingredient proportions. I also didn’t see a difference in the color of the dough either and thought that was odd, but figured maybe one would bake up darker. The only other thing I was unsure of was the baking soda into the molasses after removing it from the heat. I whisked it hard for a couple of seconds until it foamed and seemed incorporated, like the instructions. What does the baking soda do? My other gingerbread recipes don’t have this step, so maybe I didn’t mix that right either? Seems like that wouldn’t make or break the dough like I’ve encountered here. I made sure it was cooled sufficiently before adding to the flour and eggs so as not to cook the egg protein. Any thoughts on what went wrong? I’ve never had a dough become so hard like this. I’m tempted to try again. Adding the flour to the wet mixture and fold it in by hand with a wooden spoon. but I’m scared to go through all that again and still end up with the same result. I have an illness, and hand-folding dough is really hard for me, so I usually use at least a hand mixer these days. Please advise, thanks, and Merry Christmas.
Rebecca, I’m sorry that this didn’t turn out as expected. Let’s take this one step at a time.
Regarding the crumbly dough, did you use cups to measure the flour, or did you weigh it? Usually, when a dough that’s supposed to be sticky is crumbly, it means the ratio of fat to flour is off. I wonder if you used too much flour. Cup measures can vary wildly, depending on how you pack the flour. The fact that the darker dough was closer to the correct consistency makes me wonder if there was too much flour in the light batch.
Also, did you use 14 tablespoons of butter for the light gingerbread (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)? That amount of butter, plus the egg and molasses, is a lot of liquid.
Regarding the dark batch not being much different in color from the light batch, did you use blackstrap molasses? Blackstrap is made when the molasses is boiled three times, and it’s the darkest, deepest-flavored version.
There is a lot more to cover, and I am happy to discuss it with you on the phone if you send me your number in an email to david@leitesculinaria.com.
Thanks for your response! I measured using a standard glass measuring cup and tapped on the counter to level it. I used blackstrap molasses, and the butter was measured according to the stick measurements (basically one and a half sticks of butter plus two tablespoons).
Rebecca, glass measuring cups are for liquids, not dry ingredients. These are used for dry ingredients. Tapping on the counter only packs in more flour and will make it even drier. I’m sure that’s part of the problem.
I have triple-checked the cookbook the recipe is from, as well as our testers’ notes, and 4 cups of all-purpose flour is indeed correct for the light gingerbread. Are you using all-purpose flour?
You’re using the correct amount of butter. But the blackstrap is not used in the light gingerbread. That’s for the dark gingerbread.
Again, I am happy to chat with you on the phone. I think it will be more helpful.