ICED GINGER COOKIES

Iced Ginger Cookies image

These easy iced ginger cookies are soft and chewy in texture, with a spicy cinnamon flavor that can be enjoyed anytime of year. You can ice them any way you like, for example with cream cheese frosting and caramel drizzle, or enjoy as they are.

Provided by Culinary Envy

Categories Desserts Cookies Drop Cookie Recipes

Time 1h15m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

½ cup white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsulfured molasses
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup evaporated milk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
½ (8 ounce) package cream cheese
¼ cup butter, softened
1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ (11 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
¼ cup half-and-half
1 pinch sea salt, or to taste

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat.
Combine sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Add molasses, melted butter, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add flour, stirring constantly, 1 cup at a time until just combined. Add up to 1/4 cup of additional flour if dough is too sticky.
Place spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the dough with floured fingertips to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before frosting, at least 30 minutes.
Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until well blended. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Beat frosting until creamy.
Combine caramels and half-and-half in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramels are completely melted and the sauce is blended, about 10 minutes.
Frost cooled cookies with the frosting, drizzle with the caramel sauce, and sprinkle with sea salt.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 251.8 calories, Carbohydrate 42.5 g, Cholesterol 22.5 mg, Fat 8.6 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 2.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.2 g, Sodium 154.3 mg, Sugar 30.9 g