Decorated Nutcracker Cookies
I couldn’t resist; a few weeks ago I put up a Christmas tree (yes, I know, ahem, a few weeks ago), with some of these nutcracker ornaments.
This little guy got me thinking about nutcracker cookies.
Or cookie I should say. I only ended up making the one… He took a little longer than usual to finish. This pic shows the beginning stages of decoration.
Since I’m not very skilled at drawing (or adept at chosing the right side of the cookie apparently), I used an image of Christmas stickers with my KopyKake projector. First piped the dark outlines, then flooded the first layer. After that dried I added more layers of detail.
I’m thinking I’d like to try another one with him {below} as the inspiration:
Gingerbread has never been my favorite cookie, but I do like the taste of the recipe I use from my sister-in-law. It had a bit of a ‘bite’ to it originally (spicy), so I’ve changed it a bit over the years to make it a little more neutral. (Especially for kids!) If you like a bit more of a ‘kick’, add one teaspoon more of the ginger, cinammon and cloves and one teaspoon of pepper.
It’s a great recipe for gingerbread houses as well. If you’d like to try it out, check out the recipe below.
For the royal icing recipe, click here.
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Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
For the printer-friendly version, click here.
Ingredients:
800 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
250 g unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup molasses
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Instructions:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
2. Mix in spices first, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low.
3. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and add to bowl; mix until just combined.
4. Wrap dough in a disc shape in saran wrap. Let it rest by refrigerating until cold, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thick.
6. Cut shapes out with cookie cutters and place them approximately 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
7. Refrigerate until firm; at least 15 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Bake cookies until lightly golden; 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
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Happy baking!
xo,
Marian
Hi Marian,
Your works are absolutely gorgeous! And I truly appreciate the time and effort going into these works of art.
I have a question about the recipe. How far ahead can I make it? I have an event in about three weeks that I was thinking of making gingerbread houses for (to be eaten) but I don’t want to be rushed at the last minute, and want to make as many as possible. Your thoughts appreciated.
Thanks!
looks so adorable!
Hi Marian,
Your work is absolutely fantastic! Just one question, you say at the video we must leave house structure to dry between 12-24 hours before adding the roof. How do you avoid gingerbread to get too soft? Many thanks for answering, and brgds feom Spain.
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR LOVELY WORK,I’M YOUR FAN!GOD BLESS YOU…..
Hi @ Illona: Here is a post for you:
http://sweetopia.net/2012/02/how-long-do-decorated-cookies-stay-fresh-what-is-the-shelf-life-of-decorated-cookies/
Thanks, @ Phoebe!
Hi @ Tatiana: If you live in a humid environment, follow the tips from these post:
http://sweetopia.net/2012/01/video-how-to-dry-cookies-decorated-with-royal-icing/
http://sweetopia.net/2011/07/how-to-avoid-spots-on-icing/
Thanks, @ Sweetchoca!
Hi Marian!
I’m attempting to make these cookies for the first time this weekend and I’ve always heard that baking is a science…that being said- I have two questions!
1.) Do you sift your flour before or after you measure?
2.) I’m wondering how best to convert the measurements above since I don’t have a scale to weigh my ingredients and the recipe is listed in grams?
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Hi @ Danielle!
1) If I sift, I sift after I’ve measured my ingredient
2) That’s a tough one… I don’t really advise on converting without trying the ingredients (each ingredient has a different weight). I’m sorry, I’ll have to do this recipe in cups in the future (soon!).
Hi Marian
I’m really excited to try making my own gingerbread house with this recipe. When rolling out the dough is 1/4″ also a good thickness when making houses? Or is that only for shaped cookies.
Thanks!
800 g—Is that grams?
@ Terri:
Yes g is grams
Hi Marian,
Is this enough to build a ginger bread house or should I double the recipe?
Yes, @ Tina, it’s enough to build the small house I have/template I have posted. Happy decorating!
Hi @ Deanna: Yes that thickness if fine for a gingerbread house. Honestly you can make it as thick or thin as you like, keeping in mind really thin is more fragile, and thick walls harder to keep standing due to their weight.
Hi Marian! You are the cookie queen, seriously. I have been addicted to your youtube video’s lately, trying to get myself ready to decorate cookies for christmas. I’m baking these gingerbread cookies as-we-speak and I just took a peek and they are all puffy and huge, the shape is totally distorted
any idea why this is happening? After I cut out the shapes I put them back in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up. They seemed firm to the touch, but maybe I didn’t let them chill long enough?? Please help! Thankfully I did a small test batch first so not too much dough is wasted…yet!! 
Hi @ Gina: Yes, chill them more and here is a post for you on preventing spreading:
http://sweetopia.net/2011/04/top-8-tips-on-preventing-cookies-from-spreading/
If it’s too late for the dough you’ve made, bake the shapes and then cut them with the cutter again once they come out of the oven.
Hope that helps!
Hi Marian, Apologies if you have had this question before, my computer won’t let me go back to all of the old questions from this post. I would love to make this gingerbread recipe but am in Australia and molasses is an ingredient that is pretty hard to come by. Is it possible to use something else? Golden syrup perhaps? Also do you have a recipe for chocolate cookies? Thanks so mch, your posts are inspring for this very new cookie baker!
No worries, @ Liz. I’ve had a few people ask me, and I’m not 100% sure actually. I thought Golden syrup would work best, but a few people were discussing it on my facebook page, and one person mentioned this link: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/makeyourowningredients/qt/Molasses_Sub.htm
Hope that helps!
Marian, this nutcracker cookie is gorgeous!
Marian, I’ve used Golden Syrup in several recipes from Australia, and I’ve also substituted molasses for the golden syrup and it works fine. Molasses, of course, makes the gingerbread darker and more traditional. The golden syrup is paler but still delicious…I added cloves for more zing. Good luck Aussie friends!
Hi, I was looking for a gingerbread cookie recipe and I found yours, I tried the past weekend and the cookies turned out amazing although I had to substitute molasses with golden syrup since I’m from Italy and molasses isn’t easy to find here.
I’m baking these cookies now. It was refrigerated for over an hour and now I’m trying to cut the shapes hut the dough is sticking to the cookie cutters even with flour everywhere. It’s seems too doughy. Any suggestions?
Hi Marian,
Sorry if this has been asked already. Do you use fancy or blackstrap molasses? I find they’re quite different.
Thanks!
Thanks, @ marla!
Super, thanks, @ Sarah!
@ Jessica: Roll it between parchment and chill it periodically. xo
@ Tiffany: There’s one comment a few up from yours with an answer, and, since lots of people have been asking, I posted the question on facebook two days ago, and got lots of answers. I can’t copy and paste the link, but it was posted on Wed. Dec. 19th/12.
Ooops, @ Tiffany: I meant to answer that question elsewhere… i use fancy molasses.
@ marian:
Thanks Marian, Merry Christmas!
Dear Marian,
I followed your gingerbread recipe and the cookies ended up very tasty, but a bit hard. Any idea why this may have happened? Also, is it possible to follow the exact recipe with light brown sugar instead?
Thank you!
Hi @ Leyda: The longer you bake your cookies, the harder or crispier they will be. Try baking them a little less… Only bake them until the middle no longer looks ‘wet’. (Use your oven light to peek at them).
And yes, you can follow the recipe with light brown sugar – the color will just be lighter.
Hello,
is that the same recipe you were using for your gingerbread houses?
Yes, in the houses I’ve made in the last few years, @ Jenny H.. (i.e. the little houses in the video). I’ll be using it from here on in as I really like it. Before I was using Teresa Layman’s recipe from her books, which I also liked and would recommend, I just like this one a bit better.