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+ servings

Get the Recipe: Gingerdead Men Cookies

(cookie recipe adapted from Crisco®)
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Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 3 cups (13.5 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and troubleshooting (see baker's notes)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening or 1 Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Stick (see baker's notes)
  • 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Royal Icing

  • 2 cups (8 ounces) confectioner's sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) water
  • 1/4 teaspoon culinary lavender extract
  • purple food coloring
  • 1/4 teaspoon licorice flavor
  • black food coloring
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
  • orange food coloring

Equipment

  • a gingerbread man cookie cutter (or, cheat like me and use this gingerdead man cutter)
  • piping bags with a small tip

Instructions
 

For the Gingerdead Men Sugar Cookies

  • Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt until combined. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening and 1 cup granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume. Lower the mixer speed to its slowest setting and add 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons whole milk, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, beating until just incorporated. With the mixer still on its lowest setting, gradually add the dry ingredients (from the 2nd step). Once all the dry ingredients have been added, turn the mixer speed up to medium speed, beat for 1 minute or until the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated.
  • Scrape out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into two equal halves. Roll out each half on the surface to 1/4-inch thick. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter and transfer them to a baking sheet, placing each cookie 2 inches apart. Gather together any leftover scraps and re-roll to make more cookies, using the cookie cutter to stamp out more cookies.
  • Transfer the baking sheets with the cookies to the preheated oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottom edges are very light brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.

For the Royal Icing

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups confectioner's sugar and 1 large egg. Add 1 tablespoon of water one at a time, whisking until the desired consistency is reached. For lining icing, which is thinner and good for outlining the bones, you want a soft peak to form when a spoon is lifted from the icing. For flood icing, which is looser and used to actually fill in the bones, add more water a little at a time until you reach a consistency similar to maple syrup. When a spoon is lifted from the bowl, the icing should ribbon down, disappearing in 6 to 8 seconds.
  • Once you've achieved the desired consistency, divide the icing between three separate bowls. In one bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon culinary lavender extract and purple food coloring and whisk to combine. In another bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon licorice flavor and black food coloring and whisk to combine. In another, add 1/4 teaspoon orange extract and orange food coloring and whisk to combine. Transfer the icing to three different piping bags and use immediately.

Notes

Cookie recipe adapted from Crisco®
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