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+ servings

Christmas Gingerbread Stars

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings 4 dozen gingerbread men, more stars
Dessert
American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 ½ cups packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup fancy not cooking or blackstrap molasses
  • 3 large eggs
  • 27 ounces 6 cups all purpose flour*
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp ground ginger
  • 5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp ground cloves

Instructions
 

  • Beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed in standing mixer until light and fluffy, about two minutes, stopping to scrape down sides and bottom of mixer occasionally. Beat in molasses, and then eggs.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
  • Add flour mixture to mixer with speed on low; beat until combined. Divide dough into two equal piles on top of parchment or wax paper; flatten into disc shapes and wrap up in the paper. Refrigerate 1 hour, or up to 48 hours in advance. (OR freeze for up to a month, just thaw on the counter or in the fridge.)
  • Preheat oven to 375ºF. Working with one disc at a time, roll dough between sheets of floured parchment or wax paper to about 1/4" thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes, then lift them out with a metal spatula. (If you're having ANY difficulty lifting them, slide the parchment onto a baking sheet and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up the dough.) Bake for 6-8 minutes, until set and no longer shiny.
  • Press the dough scraps into another disc and repeat the process until all the dough is used. Transfer the dough to the freezer for a few minutes as needed anytime it gets too soft to work with.
  • Get the Royal Icing recipe I used here.
  • *I measured my flour by weight which I strongly recommend here, as 6 cups leaves a lot of room for variability - flour packs, and a little bit more or less in each "cup" can make a big difference in the final result.