Christmas cookie baking is all about making memories. Give a little boost of digestibility here by making Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies!
I've been experimenting with adding sourdough to most all of my baking. I just feel like it aids in the digestibility when we are eating some extra sugar this time of the year. Kids are all about the memories of baking cookies, and it's the parent's job to make sure the treats are still decent!
Not a fan of gingerbread? Check out my Sourdough Sugar Cookie dough as well! I used regular sugars in this recipe, but I also love baking with honey. It's super easy to make Honey-Sweetened Sugar Cookies this season.
Key Ingredients
Flour - When I'm not using whole-grain flours, I reach for unbleached organic AP. I definitely buy bags of this because you might not always have time for grading fresh.
Sugar - We've got both granulated and brown sugar to really get the perfect texture.
Butter - I like unsalted but I also don't believe you can only bake with unsalted! Use what ya got.
Molasses - This sweetener, paired with the spices, is what gives gingerbread its classic taste and texture.
Sourdough - Help out your tummy by adding sourdough starter to your cookie dough and letting it long ferment. Since it's not our only leavening agent, discard is also fine.
How to Make Gingerbread Cut Outs
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Whisk to combine.
Step 3: Add wet ingredients to a new bowl.
Step 4: Whisk well until combined and bubbly.
Step 5: Add wet to dry and stir well.
Step 6: Use your hands if necessary to bring the dough together. Let ferment.
Step 7: Roll out dough on a floured surface.
Step 8: Cut out with cookie cutters of choice.
Step 9: Set cut outs on a lined baking sheet.
Step 10: Bake until set; then let cool completely.
Step 11: Add colouring if desired, to small bowls of icing.
Step 12: Make memories and decorate as desired!
Tips and Tricks
- Chilling the dough allows you to have a great fermentation process, but also helps keep the cookies from spreading.
- I'm always going to tell you to use what ya got and do what fits your family. If you aren't one to make icing from scratch, skip it! We are all about the memories here, friends. Not the stress.
- Make a few different cookie dough batches while you've got everything out and dirty. Then you can bake them off as time allows.
FAQs
Because we are using merengue powder, the final product can be on the counter at room temp for up to a month! Just store your decorated cookies in an airtight container. They are perfect for making ahead or making them your first cookie of the season since they have such a long shelf life.
Dark molasses is what gives cookies their classic gingerbread taste. Most of the time you will see both light and dark in the baking aisle, and either is fine here. The light is of course lighter in colour, but it's also slightly sweeter. You can use it if that's all you can find. Definitely don't use Blackstrap Molasses, though! It can be quite bitter and is often used in savoury recipes.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Cookie Recipes
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Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100 grams sourdough starter or use discard
- 1 large egg
- 115 grams butter melted (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
Icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
Decorations:
- Non-toxic food dyes optional
- Ginger candy optional
- Cake/cookie sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger in a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together well and set the bowl aside.
- In another bowl, blend sourdough starter, melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and egg and mix well until creamy.
- Pour wet mix and dry and combine thoroughly using stiff spatula or spoon. Dough will be stiff, so you may need to use your hands to finish making sure it is well mixed.
- Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours or up to 4 days for long fermentation.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- When dough is ready, place onto lightly floured surface and roll until ¼ inch thick. You may need to flatten out with your hands a bit first if dough is too stiff.
- Use a small jar, cup, or cookie cutters to cut shapes into dough.
- Carefully place cookies on a tray lined with parchment paper giving enough space for cookies to expand.
- Use leftover dough cuttings by squishing thoroughly together and re-rolling to ¼ inch thickness and use cutters until remaining dough is all used up.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool completely before icing or decorating
Royal Icing:
- Whisk powdered sugar, meringue power, water, and extract together until light and foamy.
- Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. Make sure icing is always covered or contained when not in use so it doesn't dry out.
- If you are creating different colours, use separate bowls/bottles and/or bags for each colour adding dye sparingly until desired colour is reached.
- Decorate cookies with base icing, then colours and candied ginger pieces (I made small circles using tincture bottles as a hole punch) sprinkles etc.
Notes
- Cookie baking is all about making memories and having fun. Feel free to use store-bought frosting and such if that's more your speed.
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