I love gingerbread. I love ginger snaps. I love ginger anything, really, including redheads.
I especially like them if they have a little oomph.
It was nearly a decade ago that I discovered my spicy gingerbread recipe, and I’ve made it every year since. It’s not for everyone; it has a kick, by which I mean it kicks you in the back of the throat. It lingers on the palate. It goes really well with ice cold milk or a glass of eggnog.
I wouldn’t waste this recipe on a gingerbread house. I would try this mix of spices in other ginger recipes–molasses cookies, maybe, or a classic gingerbread loaf.
Spicy Gingerbread Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup light molasses
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then stir them into the butter mixture. Divide the dough into two halves. Wrap; chill 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 350. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Bake on ungreased baking sheets for about 11 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool.
Decorate with royal icing!
The Sensitive, Bookish Type 