OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD PEOPLE COOKIES

Old Fashioned Gingerbread People Cookies

Is there anything more old-fashioned and fun than biting the head off of a gingerbread man?  And when they are as thick, soft and chewy as these wonderful little gingerbread people, you'll see why these have been a family favorite for generations! 

​Filled with every flavor that makes gingerbread cookies wonderful - butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and LOTS of ginger!  And whether you like these plain or happily frosted with Easy Royal Icing, these little guys are ALWAYS fun to eat! 

Gingerbread Cookies

Like most of my cookie recipes, you will absolutely need to make this gingerbread cookie dough the day before you plan to bake.  Thick and sticky, the flavor infuses throughout the cookie dough as it chills overnight, and also keeps the cookie dough firm and manageable.  Making several "disks" of cookie dough and wrapping it in plastic wrap before you refrigerate makes these the easiest gingerbread cookies ever to roll out.  And a chilled and solid dough will help your cookies keep their shape when you bake them up. 

​I switched over to a "Joseph Joseph" adjustable wooden rolling pin this year rather than my old standby marble rolling pin, and it absolutely made these so easy to make!  Colorful adjustable rings on each end of the rolling pin allow you to select the exact thickness you want for your cookies (or pie crusts).  For these thick cookies I rolled the dough 1/4-inch thick.  And don't be afraid to use LOTS of flour on your rolling surface, sprinkle more on top of the dough before rolling, and liberally spread it over the wooden rolling pin for the easiest rolling you will ever have!  The excess flour on top of your cookie dough shapes will bake off, so no worries!

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies

I usually don't decorate my gingerbread cookies until they have cooled completely - and generally that means that we'll be decorating the next day!

​And you can get all kinds of crazy when you are decorating these.  My Easy Royal Icing is perfect for piping just the right amount of sweet frosting on top, and really has a wonderful flavor too.  Lots of smiles, ruffles, squiggles, hearts and polka dots - whatever makes you happy!  And little ones just LOVE decorating these too!  You can color the Easy Royal Icing for a pop of fun holiday color, but I like the traditional look of white piping.  Add cinnamon hearts, holiday sprinkles or whatever else you want to bring these cookies to life!

​The dough comes together in minutes, is easy to roll out and cut into shapes. The texture is thick, soft and chewy - this recipe really won't work for gingerbread houses because even though these cookies have slightly crisp edges, the centers are too soft and chewy to hold up to construction.  And the flavor?  Perfect in every way!  These are sure to become one of your family favorites too!

Gingerbread People Cookies