Best Gingerbread Kids Recipes

GINGERBREAD KIDS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg; mix well. Beat in molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add flour a cup at a time, mixing until incorporated.
• Divide dough into quarters; shape into disks, and wrap into plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in top and bottom third. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a dough disk to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out cookies, rolling out any scraps and additional disks as needed until you have about 20 kids. Transferto parchment-paper-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between cookies. With remaining dough, cut out additional kids to make clothes, jewelry, and hair as desired. Dress cookies, and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Bake cookies, two sheets at a time, 7 minutes; rotate pans top to bottom and front to back, and continue baking until cookies are firm when touched, about 6 to 8 minutes more. Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED GINGERBREAD KIDS

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Stir brown sugar, butter, and molasses in medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk egg in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk molasses mixture into egg. Using electric mixer, gradually beat molasses mixture into flour mixture until just blended.
• Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 12x10-inch rectangle. Cut out gingerbread with cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps and roll out on lightly floured surface; cut out additional cookies. Repeat until all dough is used.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and tops are firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.
• Place rack over rimmed baking sheet. Stir chocolate and oil in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted. Holding bottom of 1 cookie, dip top into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer cookies, chocolate-side up, to prepared rack. Repeat with remaining cookies and chocolate. Decorate cookies with candies or ginger. Chill cookies until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. (Cookies can be made 3 days ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container in refrigerator.) Let cookies stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.