Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Men Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • parchment paper

Instructions 

  • Cream butter and sugar at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until fluffy.
  • Whisk together baking soda and 1/4 cup hot water until dissolved; stir in molasses.
  • Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
  • Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
  • Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.