Gingerbread Man Cookies

Explore healthy lunch ideas that save time and boost your nutrition with this delicious one-pan lunch recipe from Afterka. Perfect for busy days, this recipe combines vibrant veggies and lean proteins, making mealtime both simple and satisfying. Elevate your lunch game and enjoy wholesome flavors all week long! HealthyLunchIdeas OnePanLunchRecipe MealPrep Nutrition HealthyEating QuickRecipes Afterka

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Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Royal icing (for decorating)

Assorted candies (for decoration, optional)

Instructions

Prepare the Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Set the dry mixture aside.

Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-4 minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixer.

Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

Chill the Dough: Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight for best results).

Preheat Oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll Out the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men shapes.

Transfer to Baking Sheet: Place the cutouts onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie.

Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft.

Cool: Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, use royal icing to decorate your gingerbread men. You can add candies for eyes, buttons, and other fun decorations as desired.

Prep Time: 20 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 30 min (including chilling) | Servings: 24 cookies