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Equipment

  • Equipment
  • Electric Mixer
  • 2 large mixing bowls
  • Rolling Pin
  • 4- or 5-inch gingerbread people cookie cutters
  • Cookie sheets and parchment paper
  • Wire cooling racks
  • Microwave-safe bowl

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons ¾ stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup molasses not blackstrap
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For Decorating Before Baking (Optional):

  • Sprinkles nonpareils, raisins, or red hots, for eyes and buttons

For Decorating After Baking (Optional):

  • Royal icing or Quick Lemon Icing
  • For the Chocolate Pants:
  • 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or melting wafers
  • Colored sanding sugar assorted holiday colors

Instructions

Make the Dough:

  • Prepare dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until evenly combined. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar: In a separate large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes.
  • Add egg and flavorings: Add the egg to the butter mixture and beat until combined. Add the molasses, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Combine: Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the dough is well blended and smooth.
  • Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days. When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before rolling.

Bake the Cookies:

  • Preheat: Position oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
  • Roll and cut: Place one portion of dough on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly sprinkle flour over the surface of the dough and dust the rolling pin. Roll to a scant ¼-inch thickness, lifting the dough frequently and adding a little more flour to prevent sticking. Cut out cookies with a 4- or 5-inch gingerbread cutter. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheets with a spatula, spacing about 1½ inches apart. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting until all dough is used.
  • Decorate before baking (optional): Press sprinkles, nonpareils, raisins, or red hots into the dough for eyes and buttons.
  • Bake: Bake one sheet at a time for 7–10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the edges of the cookies are just barely dark.
  • Cool: Remove the sheet to a rack and let cookies stand until slightly firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely before adding the chocolate pants.

Add the Chocolate Pants:

  • Melt the chocolate: Place chocolate chips or melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring well between each, until completely smooth, about 1½–2 minutes total.
  • Dip the bottoms: Hold each cooled cookie by its upper half and dip the bottom third into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. The chocolate should cover from the feet up to approximately the waist. For the gingerbread ladies, angle the cookie slightly to follow the flare of the skirt. Place dipped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Add sanding sugar: Immediately sprinkle colored sanding sugar over the wet chocolate before it sets. Work quickly; the chocolate hardens fast.
  • Set: Allow the chocolate to harden completely at room temperature, about 15–20 minutes, or refrigerate for 5–10 minutes. Once set, finish decorating the top half with royal icing, sprinkles, or nonpareils as desired.

Notes

  • Storage: Store finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, layered with parchment paper. For longer storage, freeze undecorated baked cookies for up to 2 months and add the chocolate pants and sanding sugar after thawing. Cookie dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly, for up to 4 days.

Notes

Angela’s Tips
• Why chilling matters: Chilling gives the flour time to hydrate and firms up the dough so it rolls smoothly and holds its shape through cutting. Don’t skip it, and don’t roll it straight from the fridge either. That 10–15 minute warm-up on the counter is the sweet spot: cold enough to cut cleanly, pliable enough not to crack.
• Rolling tip: Work with one half of the dough at a time and keep the other half covered in the refrigerator. Lift the dough frequently as you roll and add flour to prevent sticking, but use a light hand. Too much flour makes the cookies dry and tough.
• Don’t overbake: Pull the cookies when the edges are just barely darkening. They continue to firm up on the baking sheet as they cool. These thinner cookies can go from perfect to overdone quickly, especially in the last 2 minutes.
• Visual cues for doneness: The edges should be just barely darkening from the natural molasses color of the dough. The surface should look set and matte, not wet or shiny in the center. The cookies will still feel slightly soft in the very center when you pull them. That’s correct.
• Chocolate pants vs. chocolate skirts: For the gingerbread men, dip straight across at the waist for classic pants. For the ladies, angle the cookie slightly as you dip to follow the flare of the skirt, covering the full skirt section. Add sanding sugar to both while the chocolate is still wet.
• Make ahead: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days before rolling. You can also bake the cookies well ahead and add the chocolate pants closer to serving. They actually improve in texture on day 2 as the moisture from the molasses redistributes.