Classic Gingerbread Cookies: What's Your 'Perfect' Gingerbread Man?

The best classic Gingerbread Cookies recipe for soft cookies!  It just wouldn't be Christmas without a batch of these tasty beauties.
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Each year at Christmas time, I do the tradition of gingerbread with my little 1st graders as we're learning about different holiday traditions.  I'm always surprised to see how many of the students have never tried gingerbread before.

This year was no different ... over half my class had never tried it.  I love to introduce my students to new things!

I've discovered that my idea of the perfect gingerbread man is drastically different than a 1st grader's idea of the perfect gingerbread man.  Take a look at the photographs below and you'll see what I mean.

Here's my perfect gingerbread man ... just plain.  No frosting.  No icing.  No decorations.  Just 'nekked,' some might say.

I like to taste the wonderful spicy gingerbread flavor without any competition from sweet icings or embellishments.

Here's 1st graders' idea of the perfect gingerbread man ... their philosophy = the more frosting the better!

It's so fun to watch them having a big ol' time decorating their gingerbread.  (I especially love the cookie on the bottom right with the long red hair.)

On 'Gingerbread Afternoon,' I set up three stations in the room that the students rotate through.  At two of the stations, students work on the gift we make for their parents - a gingerbread ornament with a photograph of the student as the gingerbread "man's" face, and a gingerbread house gift bag made with a brown paper lunch sack.

At the third station ... they get to decorate and eat their gingerbread cookie.  And they love it!

What made this year's gingerbread stations extra fun was that my Mom and Dad came to help out.  I loved having them there!

My Mom facilitated the ornament station.  My Dad helped me with the cookie station.

It was my Dad's first time volunteering in my classroom, and he was so sweet with the kids.  We worked together to demonstrate decorating a cookie for each group, and then we'd let them have at it themselves.  Fun, fun, fun.  It might be one of my favorite 1st grade days each year.

The recipe I use for my gingerbread cookies is adapted from Muster Day Gingerbread in Valerie Barrett's The Complete Book of Gingerbread.  The recipe gets its name from the military Muster Day held in New England each year.  According to the recipe note:

"In New England before the Civil War, the first Tuesday of every June was Muster or Training Day.  All men from 18 to 45 were required to go for military training and many of them took their families along.  It became a festive occasion and gingerbread was an essential part of the day's menu," (p. 18).

So, whether you prefer gingerbread 'just nekked' or the 1st-grade-way, enjoy creating your perfect gingerbread man! 

I wish you a very merry Christmas filled with tasty treats and wonderful times with family and friends.

Check out these other tasty gingerbread treats:

• Gingerbread Magic Cookies
• Mini Gingerbread Cookie Bites
• Creamy Gingerbread Dip
• Gingerbread White Russian
• Gingerbread Waffles
• Blueberry Gingerbread Streusel Muffins
• More cookie recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

gingerbread cookies recipe, gingerbread men cookies, Christmas cookies

Cookies & Bars

Yield: varies based on cookie cutter size

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Classic Gingerbread Cookies

The best classic Gingerbread Cookies recipe for soft cookies! It just wouldn't be Christmas without a batch of these tasty little beauties.

prep time: 1 H & 45 Mcook time: 10 Mtotal time: 1 H & 55 M

ingredients:

• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• generous 1/3 c. molasses
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 egg
• 2 ½ to 3 c. all-purpose flour

instructions:

How to cook Classic Gingerbread Cookies

1. Place butter chunks in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Put brown sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a pan* and heat to boiling point. Stir in baking soda. Take off heat and pour mixture over the butter in the mixing bowl.
3. Stir until the butter has melted. Break egg into the mixture and stir to combine; then work in 2 ½ cups flour. Mix gently together until it becomes a smooth dough, adding up to ½ cup more flour if needed.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
5. When chilled and stiffened slightly, roll out and cut out cookies with cookie cutters (I roll mine a bit thick ... probably about 1/4" thick. I like thick, soft cookies).
6. Place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
7. Once cooled, decorate with icing, if desired.

TRACEY'S NOTES

1. *Place your brown sugar, molasses, and spices in a saucepan larger than you think you'll need. When you stir in the baking soda, the mixture foams up on you!

https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2011/12/whats-your-perfect-gingerbread-man.html

Adapted from: Muster Day Gingerbread in The Complete Book of Gingerbread by Valerie Barrett

Created using The Recipes Generator

You might also like these other Christmas cookie favorites:

Gingerbread Magic Cookies

Gingerbread Cookie Bites

Cherry Almond Cookies

Christmas Homemade Thin Mints

Pound Cake Cookies

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