#fbcookieswap frosted gingerbread men

This recipe for Frosted Gingerbread Men turned out so delicious that not only was it shipped off as part of the Food Blogger Cookie Swap, but it also became the first cookie baked for this year’s holiday cookie boxes!

Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorites to bake during the holidays. Rolling out cookie dough is my therapeutic escape from the hustle and bustle of the season and nothing beats the incredible smell as the spicy cookies are baking. Through the years I have enjoyed several methods of decorating gingerbread from canned frosting to royal icing to dipping in white chocolate. These Frosted Gingerbread Men are the perfect combination of spicy, not too sweet, and absolutely adorable.

An adjustable rolling pin and plunger cookie cutters allow you to effortlessly make dozens of cookies without compromising detail. Frosting the gingerbread men with a quick dip in glaze makes them super fast to decorate. They’re the perfect cookie for baking in bulk for cookie exchanges and entertaining throughout the holidays.

For the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, I used the Wilton divided treat boxes to package the cookies up with some STASH Chai Spice Black Tea and adore how the presentation turned out. If you’re looking to ship cookies this season, consider gingerbread as it is sturdy enough to survive the journey. For tips on shipping baked goods, check out my post from last year here.

Print Recipe

FROSTED GINGERBREAD MEN

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses

Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Cookies:

1. In a large bowl, gently whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt on medium speed until fluffy.
3. Add eggs and molasses and mix until incorporated. Mixture may look lumpy, but will come together once flour mixture is added.
4. Carefully add flour mixture one cup at a time, mixing between additions until all is added and dough is formed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
6. Break off manageable pieces of chilled dough and roll between two sheets of parchment paper until about ¼ inch thick. Peel off top layer of parchment paper and cut cookies to desired shapes.
7. Carefully transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets and bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are crisp, but not darkened.
8. Allow to cool completely before decorating frosting glaze (recipe follows).

Glaze:

1. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.
2. Add extract to warm water and whisk into dry mixture in a slow, steady stream until smooth.
3. Additional sugar and/or water may be added in small amounts to thicken or thin the icing as needed. Glaze should be fairly wet so that it will coat cookies evenly while allowing details to show through.
4. Dip each cookie in glaze mixture, allow excess to drip off and place on wire rack to set.
5. Allow cookies to dry for at least an hour (more if it is humid) before packaging or storing in an airtight container.

RESOURCES
Joseph and Joseph Adjustable Wood Rolling Pin
Ateco Gingerbread Man Plunger Cookie Cutter
STASH Chai Spice Black Tea

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is an annual event hosted by The Little Kitchen and Love and Olive Oil bringing together food bloggers across the world to bake for an amazing cause. This year I shipped cookies to The Housewife in Training Files, Plating Pixels, and Authentic Suburban Gourmet. In exchange I received Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies from the Dessert Chronicles, Mexican Wedding Cookies from the Hungary Buddha, and White Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies from Baking With Blondie.

This year we are again excited to be partnering with COOKIES FOR KIDS’ CANCER, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. By participating in this cookie swap we are not only contributing to the food blogger community, but also supporting a great cause.