Old Virginia Gingerbread Cookies are adapted from the many recipes that I came across when I lived in Colonial Williamsburg. Some ingredients in these recipes are interesting, but I wanted easy, and I wanted to use butter. Simply searching out what ingredient does what helped me make a recipe that turned out spicy and easy enough to roll and cut, or just pinch off into balls which baked wonderfully round and delicious.
It’s my rule not to taste cookie dough once the flour is added, but I couldn’t help it, and you’ll see why when you start to put this together. They were perfect. If you roll and cut, the flour on top will give you an old-fashioned cookie look, or you can sprinkle with powdered sugar.
As you mix things together, the gingerbread may look like it doesn’t have enough flour to pick up and roll, but try it. In this photo, I had not added any more flour.
The dough should not stick to your fingers, however, it will be soft. Pinch some dough off and you’ll see that you can roll it. If it’s too sticky add a tablespoon more of flour. Try again.
Old Virginia Gingerbread Cookies
Butter: I used unsalted, but I would assume that salted is fine also. Make sure your butter is softened. I do this for about 10 seconds, twice, in the microwave.
Sugar:I debated whether or not I should try brown sugar in this. Since brown sugar has molasses and this recipe has plenty of that, I opted for white sugar. I normally use a combination of both.
Spices:While it may be tempting to use a pre-made gingerbread spice, this recipe really comes alive with the separate combinations of ginger, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Soda and Powder: I used a combination of these as I wasn’t sure about the rising. 1 tsp. of baking powder to 2 tsp. of baking soda ended up being perfect to the rise I wanted. You can reduce the baking powder to 1/2 tsp. if desired.
Flour: I used unbleached, all-purpose. If you roll the cookies out to cut, you’ll need to have a well-floured surface as the dough is very soft.
Make the scoops bigger for BIG gingerbread cookies that your little ones will sparkle over!
Milk: I used 1/2-1/2. You can use evaporated milk.
Molasses: I used unsulfured. Any good brand works. I used Golden Barrel, Blackstrap.
Roll the dough into 1 1/2″ balls and press flat onto a parchment-lined or silicone lined cookie sheet. Press the gingerbread dough into a flat circle.
Bake 8-10 minutes. I did a touch test after 8 minutes to see if there was spring back on the cookie. You’ll want to take them out at 8 minutes if they spring back. They smelled wonderful! The whole house smelled like gingerbread. The cookies are crisp on the edges, but soft and chewy on the inside.
Enjoy! This has become my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe!
Theresa
Yield: 70 Cookies
Old Virginia Gingerbread Cookies
Old Virginia Gingerbread Cookies is a recipe I adapted from the time I lived in Williamsburg, VA. This recipe is a large batch, easily cut in half if desired.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
8 c. unbleached flour
3 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. cream or milk
1 1/4 c. black unsulphured molasses
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment or silicone liner.
Whisk flour, spices, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar together.
Add the molasses and milk. Cream again.
Add the flour mixture in parts, mixing after each addition.
The dough should be soft but not stick to your fingers. If it's too sticky, mix 1 TBSP more of flour until it's easier to handle, but be careful or you'll have dry dough. I'm at high altitude, and 8 cups was perfect.
Pinch off a 1 1/2" ball, roll and press flat with two fingers.
Bake between 8-10 minutes, testing after 8 minutes.
On Joyous Home, you’ll find everything from food to handiwork, homeschooling to grace-filled living. Along with my daughter, Jessica, we love publishing and blogging about homemaking. We are children of Christ, and imperfect wives and homemakers. We’re happy you’re here!
“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”
While molasses cookies and gingersnaps are rolled into dough balls and then baked, gingerbread is rolled flat then use cookie cutters to cut your desired shape. This Gingerbread Cookie recipe is foolproof and SO easy to make.
Superstitions about gingerbread flourished in the 17th century. Witches supposedly made gingerbread figures, ate them, and thereby caused the death of their enemies. Dutch magistrates went so far as to declare baking or eating molded cookies illegal.
Another key difference from modern-day gingerbread is that the medieval variety is made with honey and breadcrumbs. These were mixed with saffron and pepper to form a stiff paste which was formed into a square, sprinkled with cinnamon and decorated with box leaves secured with cloves.
Baking at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature will help cookies stay soft: they'll bake faster which means they aren't in the hot, drying air of the oven too long. Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven when the cookies are just set: underbaking is better than overbaking.
Some bakeries are now calling gingerbread men by the gender neutral term “gingerbread people.” Do you agree with the change? I couldn't care less if they called them “gingerbread cookies.” Originally Answered: Some Bakeries are now calling Gingerbread men by the gender fluid title Gingerbread people.
Molasses. Some sweeteners used in gingerbread recipes are molasses, honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Molasses is the most associated with gingerbread.
gingerbread, in architecture and design, elaborately detailed embellishment, either lavish or superfluous. Although the term is occasionally applied to highly detailed and decorative styles, it is more often applied specifically to the work of American designers of the late 1860s and '70s.
A fear that gingerbread men could be the agents of the devil also spread throughout Europe. In 1607, the superstitious magistrates of Delft in the Netherlands made it illegal to either bake or eat any of these molded and spiced cookies. This was also a time of religious upheaval.
The word “gingerbread” comes from the Old French “gigembras,” which means “gingered food.” In Middle English (which was spoken from approximately 1150 to 1450 A.D.), the term became “gyngebreed,” and that evolved into “gingerbread.” Today, we use “gingerbread” to describe a range of sweet treats that combine ginger ...
History. Gingerbread is claimed to have been brought to Europe in 992 AD by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis (also called Gregory Makar and Grégoire de Nicopolis). He left Nicopolis (in modern-day western Greece) to live in Bondaroy (north-central France), near the town of Pithiviers.
Originally, the term gingerbread referred to preserved ginger. It later referred to a confection made with honey and spices. Nowadays, gingerbread refers to a wider variety of baked goods, ranging from a soft, moist loaf cake to a particularly crunchy ginger biscuit.
Research has also shown that it may improve dental hygiene, reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Similarly, nutmeg – another common ingredient in gingerbread – is associated with reduced inflammation and may benefit heart health.
There are a few common methods for softening cookies, including microwaving them, heating them in the oven, and placing them in an airtight container with a slice of bread.
Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they'll be. For soft gingerbread cookies, follow my suggested bake times. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
Ever accidentally bake a batch of cookies for too long, only to find that they were crunchy and hard instead of soft and chewy? The opposite goes for under-baking. Pull your cookies out of the oven a minute or two early (while the centers are still gooey).
Hobby: Web surfing, Rafting, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Ghost hunting, Swimming, Amateur radio
Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
