Spiced Gingerbread Man Cookies

Enjoy!

For the gingerbread man cookies:

• 700 g all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling out the dough
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 130 g melted butter
• 320 g molasses
• 200 g brown sugar
• 120 ml warm water
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp allspice

For the Frosting:

• 3 egg whites
• 500 g powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• colorful candy for decoration

For the Cookies:

• In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice) and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, add the molasses and warm water, and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until the molasses is dissolved.
• Add the melted butter and brown sugar to the molasses mixture, and mix until well combined.
• Then, add the egg and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until incorporated.. Once incorporated, gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix until a firm dough forms.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 170° C/340° F, on convection mode.
• When the dough is ready, remove one portion from the fridge, flour the work surface, and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 4-5 mm (~1/4 inch).
• Using cookie cutters, create gingerbread man shapes or other festive stars, and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake in the oven for 8 minutes and repeat the process for the remaining dough portions.
• Once the cookies are baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.

For the frosting:

• In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice on high speed until fluffy, then gradually add the powdered sugar while continuing to beat until the frosting is smooth.

For the assembly:

• Decorate the cookies with the frosting, creating any designs you like, sprinkle colorful candies on top, and serve.

Notes

• Place the dough in the fridge to firm it up.
• When removing the dough pieces from the fridge, take them out one by one to prevent the later pieces from softening. This approach helps maintain better control over the dough’s texture and makes it easier to roll out.

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