Are you looking for the perfect gingerbread cookie recipe? Look no further! These cookies are the best gingerbread cookies that I have ever tasted! With the cinnamon candy middle, these cookies are not only a delicious and fun to eat, but are incredibly easy to make. If you are looking for something special, but easy to make as a edible gift, treat for a classroom party, or just for some memory making fun time with your children, these Gingerbread Stain Glass Cookies are definitely the cookies for you. You can even place holes in the dough before it cooks to make some beautiful edible Christmas ornaments, or to use as a embellishment for wrapping up a present for that special someone.
The Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
I love gingerbread cookies, especially when the air begins to cool, the leaves fall from the trees and the spirit of the holidays can be felt everywhere you go. It’s this time of year that I pretend that calories don’t exist and go into full baking mode. I love to make bread, cakes, and especially cookies.
Over the years I have used several different gingerbread recipes, but was never really satisfied with any of them. Don’t get me wrong, they were alright, but for some reason after I bit into the delicious spice cookie, there was always a strange aftertaste. I don’t know if it is just me, but I wanted a cookie that was better than a plain old gingersnap, but didn’t have any unwanted flavors.
After experimenting with a few different recipes, I was able to find the perfect combination of spices and flavors to create the perfect cookie of my baked goods dreams.
Edible Ornaments
I discovered stain glass cookies as I tried to find ornaments that were inexpensive, beautiful, and kid friendly. I’ll admit, when I put these cookies on the tree, several are missing as soon as I turn my back to it. I love how the Christmas lights shine through the candy centers, and the faint hint of gingerbread spices aroma in the air.
If you aren’t the biggest fan of cinnamon, or you are looking for a certain color scheme, any bite sized hard candy can be used in the centers. You can make Gingerbread Stain Glass Cookies with peppermints, Jolly Rogers, and more.
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Fun Ideas With Gingerbread Cookies
There are several fun activities you can do with this recipe.
- Make gingerbread people. Cut out a section where the shirt, pants, or shoes are and place a piece of hard candy (or crush different color pieces of hard candy, and use several different colors for fun patterns) in the open section.
- Make stain glass windows for your gingerbread house. Click here for printable gingerbread house templates.
- Cut out letters and place hard candy in the spaces in the letters A, B, D, O, P, Q, and R and make someone a fun cookie message.
- Make gingerbread sun catchers.
Gingerbread Stain Glass Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks of butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. ginger
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp. orange juice
- 1 bag cinnamon discs
- 1 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
- Add molasses and eggs to the mixture, then combine.
- Add baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and orange zest to the mixture, followed by the flour along with the orange juice. Mix until well combined.
- Roll dough into softball size balls. Refrigerate for 3 or more hours.
- Remove dough from refrigerator. Spread powdered sugar on surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin to 1/8th of an inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters.
- Using a knife of smaller cookie, cut out a shape in the middle of the individual cookies. Make sure that the hole does not tough the edge of the individual cookie.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place cookie shapes with holes onto the baking sheet.
- Unwrap cinnamon discs and place one whole candy in each hole of the cookies. Place baking sheet in oven. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, or until cookie appears to crinkle slightly on top.
- Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool.
Notes
