Thin Crisp Gingerbread Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in spices, salt, and pepper, then eggs and molasses. Add in flour mixture on low speed. Divide into thirds; wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to baking sheets lined with Silpat mats; refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp but not darkened. Cool on wire racks, and decorate.

Steps:

• In food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade, process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda until combined,.
• about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is sandy and resembles very fine meal, about 15 seconds. With machine running, gradually add molasses and milk; process until dough is evenly moistened and forms soft mass, about 10 seconds. Alternatively, in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add butter pieces; mix at medium-low speed until mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1 1/2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, gradually add molasses and milk; mix until dough is evenly moistened, about 20 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.
• Scrape dough onto work surface; divide into quarters. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll 1/8-inch thick between two large sheets of parchment paper. Leaving dough sandwiched between parchment layers, stack on cookie sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, refrigerate dough 2 hours or overnight.
• Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove one dough sheet from freezer; place on work surface. Peel off top parchment sheet and gently lay it back in place. Flip dough over; peel off and discard second parchment layer. Cut dough into 5-inch gingerbread people or 3-inch gingerbread cookies, transferring shapes to parchment-lined cookie sheets with wide metal spatula, spacing them 3/4 inch apart; set scraps aside. Repeat with remaining dough until cookie sheets are full. Bake cookies until slightly darkened and firm in centers when pressed with finger, about 15 to 20 minutes, rotating cookie sheets front to back and switching positions top to bottom halfway through baking time. Do not overbake. Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes, then remove with wide metal spatula to wire rack; cool to room temperature.
• Gather scraps; repeat rolling, cutting, and baking in steps 2 and 4. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough is used.

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla and eggs and mix until well blended.
• Add molasses and mix until well blended.
• Sift remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl.
• Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in two batches, stirring until just combined.
• Line a mini loaf pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or use a foil baking pan. Pack dough tightly into the pan; use your hands, it's easier. Cover dough and place in freezer overnight.
• Remove from freezer and pan and unwrap dough. Slice the dough brick into thin slices, no more than 1/8 inch. This can be kind of a pain; a wire cutter is the easiest, if you have one.
• Place slices on parchment lined cookie sheet or silicone baking mat, 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 until edges turn dark, 7-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookies.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well (dough will be soft). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters and place on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.