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Gingerbread Cookie Dough

The most wonderful time of the year calls for the best gingerbread house! This recipe is used specifically for a homemade gingerbread house, however, you can also use the dough for gingerbread men cookies.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cup unsalted or salted softened butter (salted butter will add a little more flavor) (339g)
  • 1 ½ cup packed dark brown sugar (354g)
  • 3 tsp baking soda (15g)
  • 3 tbsp ground ginger (30g)
  • 3 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon (35g)
  • 3 tsp ground cloves (6g)
  • ¾ cup molasses (255g)
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour (857g)
  • ¾ cup cold water (173g)

Method
 

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), cream together the softened butter, dark brown sugar, baking soda, and spices. Mix on medium speed until everything is well combined the texture is smooth
  2. Add half of the flour and half of the water to the stand mixer. Mix on low to combine and then add the remaining flour and water
  3. Mix on low/medium speed until the flour is just combined
  4. Sprinkle some extra flour on a clean and dry work surface. Place the dough on top and begin kneading it for just a second to ensure that everything is incorporated (I do this because some of the ingredients may get stuck at the bottom of the bowl)
  5. Cut the dough in half to create two separate dough balls (this will make rolling it out easier!). Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to ~¼" thick
  6. If it's easier to handle the dough in smaller portions, you can cut the rolled out dough into sections before tightly wrapping each section in plastic wrap and refrigerating the dough overnight
The Next Day
  1. After the dough has chilled overnight, carefully unwrap it and begin cutting out your gingerbread house shapes or gingerbread men cookies. For my gingerbread house, I made my own template using cardstock
  2. While you are cutting the shapes, go ahead and preheat the oven to 375℉ and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper
  3. Once your shapes are ready, carefully place them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 1" apart from one another (they won't spread but I still like to give them a little bit of space so that they bake evenly)
  4. Bake at 375℉ on the center rack for 10-12 minutes or until they are crispy on the edges
  5. Allow the cookies to fully cool before decorating and assembling your gingerbread house. If you'd like to store them in an air-tight container and use them for a gingerbread house later (not the same day), you can absolutely do that! Just be sure to allow them to fully cool before storing them and to use them within a few days. If you are making a gingerbread house that you will not be eating, you can save them for up to a week.