Anytime Gingerbread Cookies

Dear first year med students: good luck on your test tomorrow!  Do your genes proud.

XO, Braised Anatomy

An older edition

Ingredients (Adapted only slightly from Elise’s at Simply Recipes)

• 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger (+ 1-2 tsp if you like that ginger feeling)
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, softened)
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsulfered blackstrap molasses*
• 1/4 cup honey

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flour–>salt) in a medium sized bowl and set aside.  In phases, use an electric beater in a large bowl 1) whip up the butter, then combine 2) the brown sugar, 3) molasses, honey, and 5) egg.  Add the flour mixture to the wet stuff in batches, blending well with the beater with each addition (you might have to use a spatula and spoon to incorporate the last bit).  Divide in two or three batches into ziplock bags and refrigerate for at least an hour.  If you want to use the dough at a later date, seal in a ziplock bag and toss into the freezer.

Heat the oven to 350F.  Spray down the back of a cookie sheet with cooking spray, then roll out a section of gingerbread to about 1/4” thickness.  Stick this into the freezer for 5-10 minutes (hardening the dough will give you a clean cut) then use a sharp knife or a cookie cutter to cut out desirable shapes.  Remove the offending outside bits of dough, and bake in the oven for 6-7 minutes (if you make a thicker or bigger cookie, you will have to bake it for longer).  If anything, underbake it–it will continue to harden outside of the oven.  When it gets cool enough, move to a wire rack to cool completely before transferring to a tupperware container.  These should stay good-tasting for at least a week (I hope).

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