Spicy Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfured molasses
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
Raisins, dragées, and/or red hot candies for decoration (optional)
Royal Icing for decoration (optional)

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide dough into thirds and wrap each third in plastic wrap. Chill for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick between two pieces of waxed paper. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer shapes to ungreased cookie sheets. If desired, decorate with raisins, dragées, and/or red hot candies. Refrigerate about 15 minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crisp but not dark. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. If desired, decorate with Royal Icing.

Note: If you are going to use the cookies for decorations, make a hole for the cord or hook by poking the cookies with a toothpick or skewer as soon as they come out of the oven. Source: based on a recipe from Martha Stewart. We just toned down the black pepper a little bit. Martha uses 1 teaspoon of black pepper but we found it was a little bit too much for the kids. Some kids, however, really prefer Martha's original, so to each his own! If you'd like to kick it up, add the whole teaspoon of black pepper.

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Reviews of Spicy Gingerbread Cookies:

1-5 of 78 reviews Next >>

Ellen in Minnesota Dec 23, 2009
Would make this again.
I thought this was a great crisp recipe. My only concern was the dough was a little dry. We ended up adding a bit of water to the dough to make rolling it out easier. Very nice otherwise! four stars

Ally Madeline GB Dec 13, 2009
Would make this again.
Delish! I made them too thick the first time around so really listen to that 1/8" rule! I cooked them for 8 minutes so they were chewy :). five stars

A cookie baker from Jerusalem Jan 7, 2009
Would make this again.
It was my first experience with gingerbread cookies and they came out quiet good: crispy, with delicious smell and look. I took honey instead of molasses since could not find it in the store. As to the flour, I took 5 cups and put one aside. In the end I used 6 and half cups, because the dough was too sticky to work with it. I mixed it with my hands and added flour till the first moment when the dough stopped sticking to my hands. I discovered that the dough can be stored in a fridge for 2 days with no harm to it. five stars

Lisa C. in Chicago Il. Dec 16, 2008
Would make this again.
These were so good. I made them this last weekend, to test them for my Christmas party on the 24th. My family loved them. They were a bit hard to stir, but its well worth all the effort. I did not have ground cloves so I used ground nutmeg instead. They came out delicious. My whole family gave me the thumbs up to make this for christmas! five stars

Jamaica in Massachusetts Dec 13, 2008
Would make this again.
My father and I made this and they were delicious. We made them half recipe and we loved them. We twinged the recipe a bit by adding about a quarter cup of water to the mixture when we added the flour mixture because my dad was having a hard time stirring. We did not find them too salty or to spicy. They were great!!! five stars

Recipe Info

four point six stars
91% would make this again

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