Hansel and Gretel would have loved them....
These gingerbread men are not for the faint of heart. In fact, I make my with blackstrap molasses in order to make them even spicier. I make these at Christmas time, and every year, before baking time comes, I get requests, in order to make sure that they'll appear on the plates I make up. This recipe is great if you like your gingerbread to be of the more old-fashioned variety rather than the sweet. I'm so very glad that I found this recipe. It's a wonderful tradition now in our house!
Read More They were a bit too dark and treacley (?) for me. Next time I will use golden syprup instead of Molasses.
Read More These gingerbread men are not for the faint of heart. In fact, I make my with blackstrap molasses in order to make them even spicier. I make these at Christmas time, and every year, before baking time comes, I get requests, in order to make sure that they'll appear on the plates I make up. This recipe is great if you like your gingerbread to be of the more old-fashioned variety rather than the sweet. I'm so very glad that I found this recipe. It's a wonderful tradition now in our house!
I added cinnamon to make them spicier, and applesauce in the place of some molasses. I forgot to chill the dough, which didn't seem to have too much of an adverse effect. A word of caution: the cookies came out of the oven squishy after 12 minutes, but hardened a ton as they cooled.
They were a bit too dark and treacley (?) for me. Next time I will use golden syprup instead of Molasses.
I almost gave this recipe a 5, but held back because they were a little difficult to roll out - I tried rolling them out on floured parchment with the thought to take off the extra and then bake on the parchment - but the dough was very sticky. It did much better on a floured pastry cloth and then transfered to the parchment lined cookie sheet. Also sprinkle on extra flour as you roll it out( i may add a little more flour to the recipe next time, but you will still need some when rolling. I also added 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves and nutmeg with the other spices for a little more kick. They taste wonderful. Mine are possibly a little thinner than a 1/4 inch because I like a little crunch -but the thicker one a just a little bit chewy which is good too! I used minature tree and gb boy cookie cutters and they are so cute -one bite cookies. I did not use the raisins, but used Sugar Cookie Icing from this site - using a #3 decorating tip to dot and drizzle the icing(you could also use a freezer ziploc bag with the corner cut out, but you will have less control). I will be making these again - and if I could I would give them a 4 3/4 stars. My 20 year old son says he doesn't like ginger bread and he gobbled them up!
WOW! These came out great as a gluten free cookie! We used 2c soy flour and 1 1/2 c white rice flour. Awesome! Stuck the dough in the freezer for about 20 minutes and it worked fantastically! Easy to cut too, we did them by hand and with a little flour dusting every now and again and a clean knife, it was really easy to work. Will definitely make these again, and again! :)
D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!! We're eating them as we type (with one hand). For the topping we (Jess) found the Royal Icing III... highly recommended! We couldn't wait the recommended 24 hours to chill the cookies, so we stuck them in the freezer for 10 minutes... I think 15 minutes would have worked better... but the cookies were awesome, no ill-side effects to the freezer treatment. This is our new gingerbread cookie recipe!
I have made this with my kids twice and we all loved them. The second time I substituted the molasses with golden syrup and preferred it, but both times were great!
Found the dough way too dry; had to add closer to 1/2 cup water. Perhaps the ingredient portions need some adjustments? The taste was good.
This recipe was very easy to make, and it does have a nice gingerbread flavor. Additionally, the dough was easy to work with (not crumbly, dry, or too fragile). However, I found the finished cookie to be too dry for my liking. I do have a gas oven which tends to cook hot, so I reduced the cooking temp to 335 for 8 minutes. My cookies came out crispy on the edges, but a little chewy in the middle. I also increased the ginger to 1 tablespoon and added 1/2 tsp of cloves, because I like a pungent gingerbread cookie. This would be a perfect construction gingerbread recipe for making a house, and it's still good enough to eat (some of the construction gingerbreads taste like cardboard- this one doesn't). However, if you really want a moist, chewy, gingerbread cookie, in my opinion, this is not the best recipe. Look for a recipe that uses butter (more fat) to make the tastiest gingerbread. I also prefer gingerbread made with brown sugar as opposed to white sugar.
this is old fashioned gingerbread at its finest. It held up to houses and baked up beautifully. Be sure to let it cool overnight in the fridge, I added a small amount of flour to roll the dough but it is very soft and easy to work with. Thanks for the great tasting cookie
Classic gingerbread recipe, but if you are looking for a cookie that tastes like a Pepperidge Farm type, this isn't the recipe for you. It is not sweet, but mildly spicy. Crisps up nicely on racks. Next time I will use blackstrap molasses and up the spices as I like a REALLY intense gingerbread.
I had never made gingerbread men before. This was simple and easy. It did require a lot of elbow grease to stir the dough, but it was well worth it. Flavorful and versatility of this dough will make me use it over and over!
great gingerbread man with not to strong of a taste like some other recipes. Was a hit even with my husband who doesn't like gingerbread men
This is the second year we are using this recipe. We use Fancy Molasses, and follow the recipe exactly. These cookies ares slightly chewy if stored in a closed container, but if left out a while are crispy. These are possibly the best gingerbread cookies I have ever tasted.
Just made a batch of this to use as a gingerbread house. I followed the recipe to the letter except I didn't let it sit 24 hours I just let it sit 3 hours (which was fine.) The cookies taste very good, a little bland actually - you could certainly use more cinnamon & ginger. The pieces are hard enough to use as a gingerbread house.
We all loved these as they have a real gingerbread flavor. I did add another tsp of ginger though as we like our spices. I'm going to go and make some more now as my lads have eaten them all. Thank you for this recipe
Used dark molasses. Tasted very good, although I had to add some water because it was so crumbly. It gets hard enough to build with. For frosting, I used 3 egg whites and 6 cups powdered sugar. For intense color, use color gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring.
Excellent spicy cookie, good for making shapes with. My complaint is that the dough is very sticky, so roll it on parchment paper or it'll stick to the table even with a layer of flour. I added a 1/2 tsp cloves, with good results. My taste tester approved of the flavour. :)
fun to do with the kids. We have been using this for 3 years now. Cookies were sturdy and tasty.
This is my go-to holiday cookie recipe! I make several batches every year, as the family, extended family, and co-workers beg for it. I do add a bit more spices - extra cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, some all-spice... Just taste the dough until it gets to the point where you are satisfied. Comes out golden and chewy, hardens to a spicy (not too-sweet) cookie - delicious with a hot cup of tea!
I really enjoyed this recipe! It was exactly the balance I was looking for between chewy and still being able to hold the shape nicely. I used the fancy molasses instead of the darker molasses and I also added about 1/2 a cup of brown sugar (just to add a little more sweetness). I found the consistency of the dough to be just fine (as long as... you chill it for at least a few hours, are patient while rolling it out, and remember to flour your cookie cutters). I baked them for just 10 minutes because as another reviewer noted, they firm up on their own as they cool. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I will use for Christmases to come :)
Very good if you like spicy gingerbread men (and we do!) we made this as Christmas cookie handouts and everyone loved them. However we made a few changes, we increased the cinnamon to 2 tsp. and added 1 1/2 tsp. of black pepper for some more kick. They came out awsome and especially the older relatives who were used to a spicer, not sweet gingerbread loved them (we did too, and kept some for ourselves!). Will definitly make again.
Not a bad recipe - I followed it to the letter. The cookies came out a bit too spicy for my kids to enjoy. For me, I enjoyed munching them with a nice cup of coffee. My kids prefer sweet so next time I'll try the golden syrup in place of molasses. The dough turned out OK and fairly easy to handle after chilling overnight. Thanks!
This recipe was great! I really enjoyed making my first batch of gingerbread men with my 2 year old daughter. I used parchment paper instead of greasing the pan and didn't burn a single cookie! I will use this simple recipe year after year.
Wow! (and I bake A LOT!). I have not made gingerbread cookies since I was a child and was hoping for a recipe that was similar to those I had growing up. This is not it. I don't know if it is because there is too much molasses in it or not. I saw that some reviewers substituted golden syrup. I'm sure that helps. The initial taste is ok, but the aftertaste is very unpleasant. I wish I had a better review.
Very good recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. Makes a lot of cookies. Next time I think I'll halve it. We couldn't wait to eat them right away, so we baked a few as drop cookies and then chilled the rest until we were ready to roll them out. They were good both ways.
1. Very easy to make; cleanup was a breeze 2. Gingerbread cutouts came out with right texture and didn't lose their shape 3. This is definitely a "darker" tasting gingerbread. I personally thought the molasses overwhelmed the gingerbread so I couldn't really taste the spices...
I have never had good luck with gingerbread men. This recipe was very easy to follow and the cookies came out perfectly. Sturdy enough for little hands to decorate without destruction..excellent flavor. A very big hit with everyone. I have added it to my favorites and will never use another. Thank you very much.
i doubled the recipe and it was wonderful! It made sturdy walls for our gingerbread house and it also made great cookies. I had to play with the time depending on the pieces, but it was a great recipe! they tasted delicious!
This dish is so yuumy. We served it at your holiday party and many of our guests asked for the recipe.
Made the best gingerbread cookies I have ever had. Made it more than twice each season because people were eating them up--more that one person mentioned they "hated gingerbread" but these cookies were fantastic. The dough was easy to work with. I used generic unsulphored molasses, too!
I like this recipe, but only after making a few changes. I replace the molasses with golden syrup, the shortening with butter, and up the amount of ginger. I use about a tablespoon of crushed ginger, and a teaspoon of the ground. All of my flatmates love it, it usually disappears within a day.
We LOVE this recipe and have been using it for 2 or 3 years now. It is sturdy enough to make gingerbread houses as well and it is loved by the entire family. It is 2017. Still using this every year :)
This was easy and they turned out great! I followed the recipe exactly. My 5yr old had a blast decorating - and now eating - them!
I love this recipe and my kids love it too. i only put 1/2 tsp of ginger in it though because i do not like it too strong. it is VERY easy to make too!
These were great! My favorite new recipe for gingerbread. I used brown flour and they were still soft when we went to decorate them for Santa.
I replaced the molasses with dark amber maple syrup and they still came out beautifully. Nice crunch!
I got started and realized I had forgotten to pick up molasses. Mis En Place! I used Good quality maple syrup. It was a much mellower flavor but still tasty. I put the men too close together in the oven..they were partying. (used a huge cookie cutter)
Okay recipe--came out with serviceable gingerbread men. The dough was VERY sticky (had to roll it between wax paper in the end), but that part was my own fault for not chilling it a full 24 hours. Overall the recipe lacked spice, and I thought the cookie itself was pretty dry and slightly tasteless, even after a day in an airtight container to soften the cookie and let the spice flavors blend. Will keep looking for a gingerbread man recipe...
When i made these i did it with the help of my four year old nefue and not all of them made it out of the decoration stage. basicly they were the best gingerbread cookies i'v ever had
my wife and I found this recipe rather dry and un-maleable untill we added 1/2 cup of water. this was determined after checking several other recipes as well. once hydrated the dough rolled out nicly with golden gingerbread men.
I made these at Christmas and I personally like the taste of molasses and less sugar. Unfortunately my kids wouldn't eat them. I prefer them thin and crispy rather than thick and soft. Next time I will use honey and a bit more sugar for the kids. Thanks!
Gingerbread men for everyone at christmas. This recipe was perfect. My first attempt at gingerbread men was a HUGE success!!
I made these and they look and taste good but i expected them to be more gingery and less like molasses tasting. This in my opinion is a molasses cookie recipe not true gungerbread cookies.
Delicious! I only chilled for 3 hours in the fridge, but that was almost too long (I had to slowly chip away at the dough all around the bowl to try and pry it out of the bowl for about 20 minutes). The cookies were quite crispy - extra delicious! My 4 year old son and my 40 something husband both love them (as do I). They taste great with and without icing!!
I used this recipe to make cookie ornaments for our company Christmas tree. They crisped up nicely and they didn't spread too much so long as the dough stayed chilled before baking.
It was the only recipe that actually turned out good enough to decorate! I put the dough in the freezer for about a half an hour and it was great! I love this recipe and definatly will come back to it again when i need it!
I actually made this recipe twice and so far so good. Last year I made it for our dart league pot luck night and was told that it was the best ginger cookie recipe ever!
Very strong gingerbread, even as someone who adores the stuff. However, I think it would hold up well to more decorating and the kids loved rolling and cutting it out. It seemed to hold up well.
