We love doing gingerbread houses, but I found them to be too difficult for the littles so last year we decided to do gingerbread cookies instead. Now, they each get to decorate their own gingerbread men and either decide to eat it alone or add it to a cupcake. They love them!!

Gingerbread cupcakes

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C molasses
1 large egg
1/4 C cold water
3 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

Mini gingerbread man cookie cutter

Icing

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C powder sugar
Red gel food coloring
2 disposable piping bags fitted with a number 2 tip

Cookie directions

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper

Using a standing mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and molasses

Add in the water and mix until combined

In a large bowl, combine the flour, and the spices

Gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet

Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch in thickness

Using your favorite gingerbread cookie cutter, cut out your shapes

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes

Allow to cool completely

Icing

Using the standing mixer, combine the egg whites, cream of tarter, vanilla and powder sugar and mix until combined and stiff peaks form

Split icing into 2 bowls

Add a few drops of red into the first bowl

Leave the second bowl plain

Mix until the red color until blended and the shade you want

Scoop about 1/4 C of icing into their own bags.

Decorate your cookies how ever you want.

Allow icing to dry for a hour before enjoying!

1 2/3 C flour
1 C light brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
1 egg white
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C molasses
1/4 C sour cream
1/2 C Whole milk