Description
These Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies combine the rich flavors of cocoa and molasses with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Perfectly crisp and decorated with a smooth royal icing, they make an ideal festive treat for holidays and special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft but still cool and cut into 12 pieces
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 2 ounces at least 60% cacao semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
- 4-8 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and orange zest on low speed until evenly mixed.
- Add Butter and Chocolate: Add the cooled, cut butter pieces to the dry mixture and mix on medium-low speed until the texture becomes sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1 1/2 minutes. Then add the finely chopped chocolate and mix to incorporate.
- Prepare Wet Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and molasses until well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment. With the mixer running at low speed, slowly pour the molasses mixture into the flour mixture. Mix until the dough becomes moist, then increase the speed to medium and mix for about 15 seconds to fully combine.
- Chill Dough: Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into two halves, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm but not sticky.
- Roll and Freeze Dough: Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thickness. Stack the rolled dough sheets on a baking tray and freeze for about 15 minutes until firm.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut Cookies: Remove one dough sheet from the freezer to a floured surface, peel off the top parchment, flip the dough, discard the bottom parchment, and cut into 3 to 5-inch gingerbread people or festive shapes. Collect scraps for reuse.
- Arrange and Freeze: Use a wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing them 3/4 inch apart. Return trays to freezer briefly to firm dough before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake on the middle oven rack for 8 to 12 minutes until set. Let cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Reuse Scraps: Combine leftover dough scraps, roll out again between parchment, freeze, and cut cookies as before until all dough is used.
- Prepare Icing: In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, and 4 tablespoons water. Beat on high with a hand mixer for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. Adjust by adding more water if needed to achieve a fluid consistency suitable for piping.
- Decorate: Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip for outlining and decorating cooled cookies. Use immediately to avoid drying out.
Notes
- Keep butter cool but soft for easier mixing and better texture.
- Chilling dough and freezing rolled sheets ensures clean cuts and minimal spreading during baking.
- Use high-quality cocoa and chocolate for best flavor depth.
- The royal icing dries quickly so prepare it just before decorating.
- Scraps can be re-rolled and used to minimize waste without compromising cookie quality.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 30g)
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
