Gingerbread Men

By -

"Run, run, run, as fast as you can... you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"  Oh!  That was one of my favorite childhood stories!  Suspense, tender moments....  :)     Somehow though, Gingerbread Men seem to signify a traditional Christmas cookie to me and Christmas time is the only time I make them.  They're not hard to make, and even easier to eat.  LOL


This recipe will make approximately 3 dozen 2-3 inch little men.  A heavy duty mixer is easiest to mix it in as the dough is a little stiffer than sugar cookie dough.  If you don't have a heavy duty mixer, mix it using what you  have, adding the flour a little at a time until you can hear your mixer start to bog down.  Knead the rest of the flour in by hand.   The dough is great for gingerbread houses as well.  Just line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil, roll the dough out on that and cut out your house pieces.  Remove the scrap dough from around the pieces and then bake!  

Gingerbread Men (or Houses)

1 C. shortening, melted
1 C. sugar
3/4 C. corn syrup
1/4 C. molasses
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
5 1/2 to 5 3/4 C flour

Pour sugar, corn syrup and melted shortening in mixer bowl.  Let cool slightly.  Blend well.  Add eggs, mixing until smooth.  Add all spices and blend.  Add flour 1 C. at a time.  The dough should start to look crumbly but still stick together when rolled into a ball.  Dough should be quite stiff.

Spray counter (or rolling surface) with cooking spray.  Roll dough to 1/3 inch thick.  (thicker cookies stay softer after baking, thinner cookies will be crisp - adjust your dough thickness to the type of cookie you want)  Cut out cookies and transfer to cookie sheet with a spatula. (a nice, thin, metal spatula works best)  Leave about 1 inch between cookies.  IF you'd like, right now you can use raisins for eyes, craisins or red hot candies for buttons - just press those in slightly where you'd like them.  Bake at 375 for about 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack.

When you're done baking and your little gingerbread men are all cooled, make a medium consistency icing with about 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1-2 T. of lemon juice or water.  Outline or decorate your little men as desired. Let icing dry a few hours before stacking in airtight container.  These will store well quite a while.

Joy's Notes:   I use a cake decorating bag and about a size 4 writing tip for this but you could put your icing in a sandwich baggie and snip a tiny hole in one corner to decorate.  I really like my gingerbread men crisp...they dip in milk really well. Mmmmm!    IF you want to use them to make ornaments, use a toothpick to make a hole at the top of the head BEFORE baking so you can thread a string through.

Have fun with these!  I think they're as much fun as sugar cookies!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Creamy Pork Chops and Potatoes

By -
Image
The other day I needed a dinner that I could make ahead and leave in the oven.  I combined a couple of recipes to come up with this.  It was a hit with our entire family. I like to buy full boneless pork loins at Sam's Club and then cut them into chops or leave the size we need for a roast.  The price is usually cheapest that way and I'm all about cutting our food budget.  I keep everything in this recipe on hand (aside from the French's Fried Onions) so it is something I could throw together  spur of the moment. Creamy Pork Chops and Potatoes 6-8 pork loin chops (boneless or bone-in) 6 LARGE  russet potatoes , peeled and sliced 2 10 oz. cans condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk 3/4 C. water 3 T. onion soup base (1 package of Lipton onion soup is a little over 2 T. so just use that if you'd rather not have a package open.  I buy mine in bulk so it's easier for measuring) 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. salt French's fried onions
Read more

Brown Rice, Broccoli and Chicken Bake

By -
Image
My family doesn't generally love brown rice.  They really enjoyed it in this dish though.  I started out to do a skillet dinner, but I took a little time to put it all in a pan and melt the cheese in the oven.  Next time I'm going to try just mixing it in and letting it melt in the skillet rather than sprinkling it on top. This was a tasty dinner and full of healthy ingredients.   My family requested it again! Brown Rice and Broccoli with Chicken 1 1/2 C. brown rice 3 1/4 C.chicken broth or water with 3 tsp. chicken boullion  Place in medium pan, bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes.  Remove from heat. While the rice is cooking, saute the following in 1 T. of olive oil: 2 chicken breast, diced 1 C. onion, diced 1 C. mushrooms, sliced 2 C. broccoli florets (fresh or frozen is fine) When the rice is done, place it on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan .  Spread chicken and vegetables over rice.  Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of water or chicken broth ove
Read more

Molasses Oatmeal Bread

By -
Image
Molasses Oatmeal Bread is a hearty (and heart healthy!) bread that is easy and delicious!  We love it toasted and spread with homemade jam.  So good!  Molasses adds a rich flavor and beautiful color. Molasses Oatmeal Bread 2 T. instant dry yeast (my favorite brand is SAF) 1/2 C. warm water Dissolve yeast in water and set aside In large bowl (or mixer bowl if you have one that will do bread), put: 2 C. quick rolled oats 2 T. oil 2 C. boiling water Stir and let sit about 10 minutes or until lukewarm.   Stir dissolved yeast, 1/2 C. molasses, and 4 tsp. salt into the oatmeal mixture.   Add about 3 cups of flour and mix well.  Stir in 2-3 cups more flour until you have a firm dough that you can knead.  Knead 5 minutes by hand or with mixer.  Place in a greased bowl, being sure to grease the top as well.   Cover and let rise until double.  About 45 minutes to an hour depending on how warm your room is. Punch down dough.  Divide into 2 pieces.  Grease 2 loaf pan
Read more