Cumberland Gal: Gabe's Favorite Gingerbread Men Recipe

Gabe's Favorite Gingerbread Men Recipe

From the cooking kitchen of "Gable KinKoogan" my four year old grandson.

He has been a funny little man from the start. He has odd tastes and has been treated for eating difficulties. He has some sort of sensory processing disorder and has been to therapy for it. It is getting slowly better. He adores gingerbread cookies so we make them year round. I've gotten good at it because of regular practice with him.

Below is the recipe for the cookies and the icing.

Cookie Ingredients

Dry ingredients

2 3/4 cups flour

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1 Teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 Teaspoon Allspice

1 Teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 Teaspoon salt

3/4 Teaspoon baking soda

1/4 Teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup sorghum molasses

1 egg

4 Tablespoons butter softened

Raisins and dried cherries for eyes and buttons and mouth

Sprinkles for decoration optional

Rolling pin

extra flour for dusting

gingerbread man cookie cutter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°

spray cookie sheets lightly with Bakers Joy

Sift together all dry ingredients in separate bowl

Cream butter and brown sugar together in large bowl

Then add in egg and molasses and mix well

Add dry ingredient mix to wet ingredients a little at a time mixing well to make your cookie dough.

It is good to put this finished dough in the frig and allow it to chill for an hour or so, but it is not necessary.

flour cutting board or counter top and turn dough out onto the floured surface

add just enough flour to the cookie cutter, rolling pin and your hands to be able to work the dough without it sticking.

Roll the dough to the desired thickness.. too thick and your cookies will be too puffy. Too thin and the cookies will be too crunchy and dry and hard to handle.

Cut out gingerbread men and place on cookie sheet

Add raisins and cherry slices for eyes, buttons, and mouth

Bake in 375° oven for 10 minutes

Remove from oven and allow to cool til set

Lay out on counter to cool fully

Royal Icing Ingredients

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 egg white

Directions to Make Icing

Beat together powdered sugar and egg white

add milk one tablespoon at a time til the right consistency.

I never add more than 2 TBSP as it gets too thin and runny.

Once cookies have cooled ice them with this royal icing

You can do it by dipping them on the edges or use a pastry brush to paint it on

I sometimes use a cheap artists brush to dip in it and get fancy with detailed decoration. Add sprinkles or what you like for decoration.

The dough can be divided , placed in tupperware, and stored up to a week in the refrigerator. It is just as good to make another batch later.

Above and below.. the finished product. They don't look perfectly decorated and identical, but they are the work of a four year old! They look really good considering. They turned out to be some of the best tasting ones yet.