Gingerbread

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This easy and tasty gingerbread recipe is one that my daughter a few years ago when she started making gingerbread houses from scratch. It’s great for gingerbread houses (or whatever creation we make), but I also started using it for gingerbread cookies. The original recipe is from tikkido.com, and is apparently the gingerbread recipe used by a former White House chef! We have adapted it a bit over the years, and if making cookies we bake them at a lower temperature and for a bit shorter time. Gingerbread for gingerbread houses can handle being cooked hotter and longer. It is better to have them over baked than underbaked, which could result in the dreaded collapse!

This recipe calls for a full 6 cups of flour and to be honest if you are making cookies, that’s a lot of cookies. So feel free to cut the recipe in half. You will still end up with lots of cookies, but you won’t get so overwhelmed with the decorating part. If you are making a gingerbread house then by all means use the full recipe.

Although this gingerbread recipe does not specify the type of molasses to use we use either dark or a blend of blackstrap and fancy molasses for the best of both worlds. If you like a lighter, sweeter gingerbread then you can use just fancy molasses. Plain blackstrap molasses has a more dark and bitter gingerbread.

What’s the difference in the types of Molasses and what should you use in gingerbread:

Light Molasses

After the first processing of sugar, you’re left with light molasses: The sweetest and lightest-colored type in the group. It’s the most popular type of molasses sold in the U.S. because it has the highest sugar content. It has a mild flavor and can be used as a substitute for maple syrup on pancakes, sugar in coffee or bake with it to make your favorite molasses cookie recipe.

Dark Molasses

If the molasses is boiled a second time, you end up with dark molasses. It’s darker and thicker the light variety, with a deeper, richer flavor that hints at bitterness. It’s not quite as sweet, but it’s also not as bitter as blackstrap molasses. it makes a great gingerbread.

Blackstrap Molasses

The third and last boiling of molasses results in the deepest, darkest, most bitter version of molasses: blackstrap molasses. It also has a lower glycemic index value because most of the sugar was extracted during the triple processing. It’s strong and bitter, but it’s great for savory cooking like baked beans.

In our opinion, the best molasses for gingerbread is unsulfured, dark molasses. This type of molasses has a rich, robust flavor that enhances the spiciness of ginger and other warm spices typically used in gingerbread, such as cinnamon and cloves. Unsulfured molasses is derived from the first or second boiling of the sugar cane juice, making it smoother and less bitter compared to sulfured molasses, which can have a more acidic and off-putting taste. The dark variety offers a perfect balance of sweetness and depth, without overwhelming the dough with overly intense or overly sweet notes. Its thicker consistency also contributes to the moist, chewy texture that makes gingerbread so delightful. Overall, unsulfured dark molasses provides the ideal flavor profile for creating the perfect gingerbread treat.

Tips for making Gingerbread Houses:

  • Chill your dough, it makes the cutting out more precise.
  • Roll the dough out directly on the parchment lined baking sheet, so you can cut the shapes out there without having to transfer them and risk breaking them. Especially larger pieces.
  • Over bake vs underbake, or you risk collapse (soft gingerbread does not make sturdy houses).
  • Place a damp tea towel under your pan before you roll out the dough (so the pan doesn’t slip all over the place).
  • Once the pieces are baked, trim the edges immediately after taking them from the oven. They will have expanded during the baking process. You will get better results in the assembly process. Trust me, and don’t wait even 1 minute or the gingerbread will already be setting which could lead to broken pieces. Use your templates and a sharp paring knife and trim the excess away.

Gingerbread Cookies

This easy gingerbread cookie recipe is one we've adapted from an original White House Gingerbread House recipe. It makes perfect gingerbread whether it be for cookies or houses.
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2T Brown Sugar
  • 1 cup solid, shortening
  • 3 Tbsp Molasses
  • 4 lg Eggs
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp Baking soda
  • 6 cups all purpose flour
  • 1.5 Tbsp Ground ginger
  • 1 Tbsp Ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until mixture is fluffy
  • Add the baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and molasses and mix until combined.
  • Add the flour, one cup at a time. The dough will be quite stiff. Once the flour is incorporated Stop the mixer. Gather the dough into a ball, form a disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • On your lightly floured counter, roll the dough out to 1/4" thickness (less if making a gingerbread house). Using cookie cutters, cut out into various shapes and transfer cut outs to a parchment lined baking sheet (leave some space in between the cookies as they will expand a bit). Gather scraps and re roll and cut out trying not to overwork the dough.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for between 10 and 14 minutes. Slightly over-baked (short of burning) is better than slightly under-baked as you need rigidity for constructing gingerbread houses.
  • Bake at 350℉ convection or 375℉ if not using convection (fan). Bake for 10 minutes until slightly browned on the edges. If you are making gingerbread houses be sure to cook the pieces well, over baked is better than underbaked in this case.
  • Let cool on the pan for 3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (overnight is best)
  • Once cool, decorate with royal icing (or assemble your gingerbread house then decorate)
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