“On the first day of Christmas …” instead of a partridge and a pear tree I’m giving you a whole bunch of little gingerbread men! So excited to kick off the 12 days of Christmas Cookies, inspired by our new hand-illustrated tea towel filled with these Christmas classics.
12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Gingerbread Men
There’s almost nothing more classic than gingerbread for the holidays. So much so that I actually shared a gingerbread recipe last holiday too, and the kids look oh-so-young (tears). It’s a different recipe than I’m sharing below so be sure to do a side-by-side and let me know which you prefer.
Gingerbread is full of tradition for our family. The sweetness of the big + small men and the fact that I always bake + decorate these with my kids each year just gives me a big, wide smile. And, my Mom has created a special tradition of always decorating a gingerbread house with them so the smell of it just brings me to these special times.
I found this super oversized gingerbread man vintage Gingerbread Man cookie cutter and just fell in love. They just don’t make things they way they used to and cookie cutters are sure a great example of that notion. Whenever I find a classic cutter shape or something really unique I always snag it.
Gingerbread Men
Description
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups dark molasses
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 7 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix shortening, sugar and molasses thoroughly. Stir in water. Blend all dry ingredients and then add to wet mixture.
- Chill in refrigerator for now.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll chilled dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut with gingerbread man cookie cutter.
- Place cut out gingerbread men a couple inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no imprint remains in dough when lightly touched.
- Ice cooled cookies with your desired icing recipe (optional). Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR FREE “12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES” HOLIDAY E-BOOK:
heirloomed is a lifestyle brand with a mission of “keeping heirlooms around for another generation.” Our blog features stories aboutfamily recipes, creatingtraditions with your family, interior design and entertaining by mixing new and vintage pieces, classic style, and small town + historic travel. Ourshop features a collection of “goods inspired by the past, for generations to enjoy” with an array of products and meaningful gifts including linenaprons, tabletop linens, art, ceramics and beyond. Learn more atwww.heirloomedcollection.com.
