Best Gingerbread Men Recipes

GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla;mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to5 days.

GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Sieve the flour, salt, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Heat the butter, sugar and syrup until dissolved. Leave the sugar mixture to cool slightly, then mix into the dry ingredients to form a dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 mins.
• On a surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out the dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Stamp out the gingerbread men shapes with a cutter, then re-roll any off-cuts and repeat. Place your gingerbread shapes on the lined trays, allowing space for them to spread. Cook for 10-15 mins, then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon; stir into the pudding mixture. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets. On a floured board, roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into man shapes using a cookie cutter. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are golden at the edges. Cool on wire racks.

CAKE MIX GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine cake mix, flour, eggs, oil, molasses and ginger in large bowl (mixture will be soft). Refrigerate 2 hours.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface, cover with waxed paper. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with non pareils.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. Remove immediately to cooling rack.
• Place icing in storage bag. Snip just the tip of one corner off to allow for a small hole. Pipe the face and ruffles onto cookies.

GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl; set aside. Melt the butter and shortening in a medium saucepan; remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and molasses. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
• Add the egg to the butter mixture; beat with a mixer on medium speed until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in two additions until just combined. Divide the dough in half; wrap each half in plastic wrap and pat into 1/2-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as needed. Cut out gingerbread men with a 3 1/2- to 5-inch cookie cutter and arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush off the excess flour and refrigerate the cutouts 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Decorate with royal icing and let harden at room temperature, about 1 hour.

EILEEN'S SPICY GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost or decorate when cool.

GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Place butter and Truvia in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds, wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside. Roll out dough on a clean work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 4-inch gingerbread man-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies, and place on a baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire rack.
• Using white icing in a squeeze bottle, decorate gingerbread men, as desired. While still wet, sprinkle with sanding sugar; let dry 10 minutes. Shake off excess sugar. Using additional icing, attach candy, using craft tweezers. Let dry completely 8 hours or overnight.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Position racks in the top & bottom thirds of the oven, then preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• With shortening (not on ingredient list) to grease several large baking sheets, then set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder & cloves until spices & coca are evenly distributed, then set aside.
• In a 2nd large bowl, & using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream shortening & brown sugar until smooth & airy, about 1 minute.
• Beat in egg & then the molasses.
• Turn off mixer & add prepared flour mixture, then AT VERY LOW SPEED beat just until crumbly bits of dough form, but not until the mass begins to cohere into a ball.
• With flour lightly dust a clean, dry work surface as well as your hands.
• Turn dough out & knead just until it forms a smooth mass, about 30 seconds.
• Divide into thirds & cover them with a clean kitchen towel.
• With flour lightly dust the work surface again & roll one of the thirds to a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Flour the dough & a rolling pin only as necessary.
• Use a large gingerbread-man cookie cutter to cut the dough into the desired shapes, then use a metal spatula to transfer them carefully to the prepared baking sheet(s). Gather any scraps, lightly dust again with flour & roll out a 2nd time, creating additional gingerbread men.
• Decorate the cookies with the raisins & red hots, using one for the eyes & the other for the mouths. Additional red hots can be used as buttons on their coats.
• Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate sheets top to bottom & front to back.
• Bake another 4 minutes, or until cookies feel dry but still are a little soft.
• Remove from oven & cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
• Cool the baking sheets for 5 more minutes, then regrease them before baking additional batches, as necessary, OR work with 2 additional baking sheets, preparing them while the others are in the oven.
• Keep no longer than 2 days at room temperature, several more days in the refrigerator, OR up to a month in the freezer.

SOFT AND EASY GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, with mixer at slow speed, beat flour, sugar, butter, molasses, applesauce, egg, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F On a lightly floured surface, working with half of the dough at a time, roll 1/8 inch thick. With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes. Using a metal spatula or pancake turner, place cookies 1/2 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Reroll trimmings and continue to cut shapes. Bake 8 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTED GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg and ginger. In another bowl, whisk next six ingredients; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. On a surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are firm, 15-18 minutes. Cool completely on pans on wire racks., For frosting, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread or pipe frosting over cookies.

BUTTERSCOTCH GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and pudding mix until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda and cinnamon; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 5-in. gingerbread man cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In another small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Decorate cookies with frosting as desired.

GLUTEN-FREE GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, sift together the rice, tapioca and buckwheat flours, the baking soda, xanthan gum, ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk until well blended, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the butter with the brown sugar until the mixture is light, airy and pale tan, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix again on medium until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the molasses and vanilla, and mix again at medium speed for another minute. Add half the dry ingredients and mix on low until incorporated. Add the second half of the dry ingredients and mix on low until the dough comes together in small clumps. (The dough will resemble thick brownie batter.) If the dough is too wet and not clumpy, add another tablespoon or two of rice flour. Using your hands, bring the dough together into a ball and knead for 1 minute, or until you can make a smooth ball of dough. Shape the dough into a disk and place in a resealable plastic bag, removing excess air. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. (If the dough chills much longer than an hour, let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften before proceeding.)
• When ready to make the cookies, adjust oven racks to the top and bottom thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Divide the dough in 3 equal portions. Refrigerate two portions while you work on the first. Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness. (Best method for GF cookies is to use parchment paper barely dusted with rice flour on the top and bottom of the dough - this avoids needing to use a lot of extra bench flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter). Use cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men. You should be able to cut out 5 to 6 gingerbread men from each third of the dough, assuming they are 3 inches tall. Gather and re-roll the scraps. (Don't worry about overworking the dough, there isn't any gluten.)
• Arrange the gingerbread men on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart and bake until the edges just begin to take on golden color, 8 to 10 minutes. (For softer cookies, cook a minute or 2 less.) Let the cookies cool for a minute on the cookie sheet, and then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool completely.
• Repeat the process for the remaining dough portions.
• Once completely cooled, decorate the cookies with colored Easy Royal Icing, along with candies, nuts and sprinkles.
• In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to mix the egg whites until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice and vanilla and mix again until blended. Sift in the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then mix on low speed until incorporated. After the third cup of sugar is added, keep mixing until the icing is smooth, thick and shiny, about 2 more minutes. (Add an extra tablespoon or 2 of confectioners' sugar if the icing seems runnier, like a glaze.) Divide into 2 or 3 portions, add desired amount of food coloring and mix well.
• Fill a few tablespoons of royal icing in the corner of a resealable plastic bag, snip the tip and draw (or spread the icing with a paintbrush) onto the cookies (thin with a drop or 2 of extra juice). Chill the cookies in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the icing.

GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg and water. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients minus frosting; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until easy to handle, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets., Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost as desired.

GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES WITH NUTELLA® HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together butter, honey and brown sugar. Mix in egg yolk.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, gingerbread spice mix and salt; add to butter mixture and knead for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap; and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 320 degrees F.
• On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out dough to 1/6-inch thickness. Using small gingerbread-man cookie cutter or other small shaped-item (such as a glass), cut out gingerbread men.
• Transfer gingerbread men to parchment paper-lined baking sheet; bake on center rack for 8 to 9 minutes or until slightly golden.
• Let cool on rack for 15 minutes.
• Spread 1 1/4 tsp Nutella® hazelnut spread on the back of one gingerbread man then sandwich with another gingerbread man.
• Repeat with remaining gingerbread men and Nutella® hazelnut spread. Mix together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, adding juice to the sugar, a 1/2 tsp at a time, to make smooth paste. Transfer to piping bag and decorate cookies with icing.

STORYBOOK GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar. Sift flour with salt, soda and spices. Blend flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with molasses and water. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with large 6-8 inch gingerbread men cookie cutters. Lift onto lightly greased cookie sheet with broad spatula.
• Bake above oven center for about 12 minutes or until cookies spring back lightly in center. Do not overcook, they won't stay soft. Remove from sheets. Cool on wire racks. Makes 10 men 6-8 inches tall.

GINGERBREAD MEN FROM SPLENDA®

Steps:

• Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and allspice into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Cream butter and SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and egg yolk. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until dough forms. Shape dough into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut dough and place on cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses, egg, and melted chocolate and continue beating on medium speed for an additional 2 minutes. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and flatten into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least hour, or up to 5 days. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Divide the chilled dough into four equal quarters, leaving three quarters in the refrigerator. Lightly flour a flat work surface and roll out one piece of dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Using a small (2 to 2 1/2 -inch) gingerbread man or woman cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart. Gather all the dough scraps into a ball and place in the refrigerator. Take out another quarter of the dough, and continue rolling out the dough and cutting cookies until all the dough has been used. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly raised. Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the cookie sheets, transferring to a wire rack to cool.

GINGERBREAD MEN DOUGH

Steps:

• Sift flour, soda, spices and salt.
• In a separate bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy.
• Add egg and beat well.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing well.
• Chill.
• Roll out on a floured board, and cut with gingerbread men cookie cutter.
• Decorate with raisins, candied fruit or small candies.
• Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 325°F, until browned (6-7 minutes).
• Decorate with icing after cooled.

GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• In a food processor combine the flours, xanthan gum, spices and bicarbonate of soda. Whizz the ingredients to mix them thoroughly. Add the butter and process again till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and process again.
• Add the golden syrup and egg and process until the mixture starts to come together. Tip out onto a (rice) floured surface and form the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Take out the fridge and roll to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a gingerbread man cutter (or any cutter you like) and cut out as many shapes as you can, re-rolling the left overs to use it all up.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Line a baking sheet with non stick baking parchment (reusable is best) and bake the cookies for approx 12 minutes until nicely browned but not burnt. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While the biscuits are cooling, mix some icing sugar with enough water to make a fairly stiff icing, adding food colouring if you wish. We decorate ours with smartie buttons (the Aldi equivilant are GF and jelly belly beans work well too). Decorate as you please. Now watch them disappear!!
• Taken from my blog www.cookingforkenza.com

PUDDIN' HEAD GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Cream butter, brown sugar and pudding mix.
• Add egg and beat well.
• Combine flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture and chill.
• Roll part of chilled dough out on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut with 4-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in 350° oven for 6-8 minutes.
• Remove from cookie sheet to rack and cool.
• Mix powdered sugar, lemonade concentrate and enough water to make of spreading consistency.
• Frost cookies or use pastry tube.
• Decorate with candies if desired.