My family is devoted to an exclusive collection of holiday cookies. I might not be allowed in the door without tins of Vanilla Bean Cookies and Chocolate Rum Balls. It also wouldn’t be Christmas without an afternoon spent decorating cutout cookies. When I was one of the youngest around the table, these were sometimes gingerbread, but the family now favors sugar cookies.
When I went to find the gingerbread cookie recipe of my childhood, an even older version in my grandmother’s Fruit and Flower Mission Cookbook, published in 1930, caught my attention. Its techniques seemed outdated, but my test batch came out with crispy edges and softer centers ideal for decorating.
These cookies roll out thinly and bake quickly, so dissolving the baking soda in hot water kicks on its rising power early and helps the cookies puff gently. A splash of vinegar also speeds up the reaction, adding its acidity to that of the molasses and brown sugar. I’ve expanded the second half of the ingredient list to a full complement of warming holiday spices – including freshly ground black pepper, my secret upgrade to many ginger-forward sweets.
Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies
Makes about 40 cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon hot water
1 egg, beaten
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1 cup powdered sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in the molasses and vinegar. In a small glass measuring cup, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Stir the solution into the butter mixture. Mix in the egg until thoroughly combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Divide the dough into two flattened discs. Wrap each disc in parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disc 1/4 inch thick, checking often to ensure it doesn’t stick. Cut it into your desired shapes. Place the cookies on a buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch around each cookie. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut out the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough disc, using additional baking sheets and baking in batches as needed.
Bake the gingerbread at 350°F for eight minutes, until barely firm. Move the cookies to racks to cool to room temperature. If desired, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and add stripes of icing to the cookies using a chopstick or small natural-bristle brush. Let the icing dry completely. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three weeks.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.