Happy Birthday!
These soft, chewy, and spicy cookies are my nephew’s favorite cookies. He likes them so much that he asks for them on his birthday. And I happily grant his birthday wish.
“A little gingerbread cookie can make my whole day better.” Kasha
I think the texture of these cookies is just as important as the taste. They are soft and chewy with a firm edge and so addictive. I especially like them with tea and I’m normally not a tea drinker! If a cookie can get me to choose tea over coffee, it’s got to be pretty amazing. Hello, soft gingerbread!
Cookie specifics
Gingerbread. My go-to gingerbread cookie is firm on the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. It has a robust molasses flavor and plenty of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices. I was never a gingerbread lover as a child, but this cookie won me over.
Shapes
birthday present, gingerbread boy
Sizes
2½ to 3 inches, which is my favorite size for decorating and eating!
My Family Recipes
Gingerbread. My Soft Gingerbread Cookie recipe is based on a combination of several recipes from family and friends. My goal was to make a cookie full of spices, with slightly crisp edges and soft everywhere else. This recipe is all that!
My Gingerbread Recipe
Glaze for Piping: This glaze/icing dries hard enough that you can stack or package the cookies without damaging the embellishments. I used it for all the decorative elements on these birthday cookies.
Glaze for Piping Recipe
Cookies
Gingerbread: flour, butter, dark brown sugar, molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, baking powder, egg, pure vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Royal Icing: confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, pure vanilla extract or almond extract, cream of tartar, food coloring
Glaze: sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring (optional), vanilla extract for flavoring
Plate, Box or Bag?
Plate. At the birthday party, I arrange these cookies on a plate so that each cookie is a star, just like the birthday boy or girl!
Box. I’ll often give a whole dozen of these cookies to my nephew, who loves gingerbread. My favorite way to package them is in a cardboard bakery box with a clear window on top or on the side that makes the contents visible to anyone who wants to peek.
Bags. If I plan to use the cookies as birthday party favors, I will wrap them individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This also makes the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations. Plus, each one looks like a little present so everyone gets a “gift.”
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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