Do you have any cookies ready for Santa?

We made these little cookies for the man in the red suit today. If you hurry, you have just enough time to put them by the tree before you go to bed to dream of sugarplums...

Dipped Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:


6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoons vanilla
the zest of 1 small orange or tangerine
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Glaze Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons water

With a mixer (I love my stand mixer!) beat the butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed.


Add molasses, vanilla, and zest, and mix until well blended.

Pause to watch your kids dance to the beat of the mixer


While you're blending, in another medium bowl, mix together remainder of the cookie ingredients (or have a helper do it).


Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet while your mixer is running on medium low.


Split the batch of dough into two and wrap in plastic wrap.


Let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours but less than 8.

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with a silicone liner or parchment paper.

Flour your work surface and rolling pin well, and roll one part of the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter of your choice.



Place your cookies on your cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.


Bake for about 8-10 minutes--Start checking them at 8. Let them sit for about 5 minutes or so before putting them on a cooling rack.


You can decorate them any way you want, but I decorated mine by mixing powdered sugar and water. I then dipped the cookies in the glaze. It makes the trees look like they have snow on them and the gingerbread men look like they have pants on.



I based this recipe on one I found at Food.com, but I changed a few ingredients!