These gingerbread man cookies and molasses cookies have found their way into the kitchen too this month! These snickerdoodles are so good with a cup of coffee in the morning and are the perfect treat to cozy up with on the couch, around the Christmas tree, with a blanket and holiday movie on. You will love the rich, warm spices of traditional gingerbread, like the ground ginger, cinnamon, and molasses, with the sweet, buttery taste of a snickerdoodle. These cookies are thin, soft, and chewy in texture, with a slight crispness on the edges. They get rolled in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon right before baking, giving them a distinctively crinkled surface and a light, sugary crust. The result is a festive, aromatic cookie that’s perfect for the holiday season, offering a harmonious blend of spicy and sweet flavors that you will be obsessed with!
All-Purpose Flour: The base of the cookie dough. Be sure to spoon and level the flour so you don’t end up with more than you need. Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise. Cream of Tartar: Provides the classic snickerdoodle tang and assists with leavening. When combined with baking soda, cream of tartar reacts to produce carbon dioxide gas. This reaction helps the cookies to rise and spread properly, giving them their characteristic texture and appearance. Ground Ginger: Essential for the gingerbread flavor. Ground Cinnamon: Adds warmth and pairs well with the ginger. Ground Cloves & Nutmeg: Enhances the gingerbread flavor. Salt: Balances the sweetness. Unsalted Butter: Provides richness and structure. Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a deeper flavor, typical of gingerbread. I chose to use all brown sugar for this recipe. You can use light or dark, I usually use dark. Molasses: A key ingredient in gingerbread, contributing to the depth of flavor and color. I use an unsulphured molasses. Egg + egg yolk: Binds the ingredients together. For Rolling the Dough: Granulated Sugar: To coat the cookie dough balls. Ground Cinnamon: Mixed with the sugar for rolling; imparts the classic snickerdoodle flavor on the outside.
