Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Its beginning to taste a lot like Christmas!



I love holiday food..especially the desserts! Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorite holiday treats, but if you are on a special diet these can be impossible to buy at most bakeries. But! I have a gingerbread cookie recipe that is fantastic- even if you are not on a restricted diet! I do not like crunchy gingerbread men, so if you do, simply bake a couple minutes longer :)
Happy Holidays!

Gingerbread Cookies
(dairy free, egg free, soy free, nut free)

  • Four cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup of butter or Earth Balance buttery spread (dairy free) cut in medium pieces
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground cloves
  • plastic wrap
Directions:
Put butter in a large bowl. Mix sugar, water, molasses and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring saucepan ingredients to a low boil over medium heat, stirring often.Remove from heat. Pour mixture over the butter and stir until butter melts. Let stand about 20-30 minutes until cooled to room temperature or slightly warm.
Mix flour and baking soda in a separate large bowl. Slowly pour and stir it into the molasses mixture until well blended. Do not over stir. Dough will be soft. Divide dough into fourths. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and chill at least 6 hours (or if you are short on time, you can do 2 hrs in freezer). 
Preheat oven to 350.
I highly encourage using a baking sheet and a silpat type baking liner or parchment paper. Flour your working surface. Work quickly with one portion of dough at the time. it is very important for it to stay cold and not get warm or overworked. Roll dough out and cut into shapes, and put in the oven immediately. Bake about 7-9 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. 
(I usually cut my cookies fairly thick and i like them to be chewy, so a smaller cookie for me takes about 7 minutes.)
Remove from baking sheet about a minute after you take them out of the oven and place on a cooling rack.. and enjoy!!

water, molasses, spices, sugar in saucepan
 bringing to a boil
 Pour over butter and stir
 Dough..yum
 Dough divided into 4 sections and wrapped with plastic wrap

 Cut shapes of choice
 Place on your baking sheet and bake immediately
 Perfect Gingerbread men..
Or Angels..or whatever shape you choose!

Merry Christmas!!

Leah

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