Gingerbread men are spiced shortbread cookies typical of the Christmas period, easy to make, they are also ideal as homemade gifts perhaps paired with jars of flavored sugar! They are fun to make with children who can enjoy cutting the shapes and decorating them after baking. You can decorate them with classic royal icing or chocolate sprinkles as I did. Once finished and packaged, the gingerbread men will be loved by those who receive them as a gift or find them ready to enjoy at home! Now, get started in the kitchen because Christmas is coming and you can try them out in the meantime!
If you love shortbread pastries, then also try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 15
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients for Gingerbread Men
- 2 3/4 cups low glycemic index flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 2 eggs
- 7 tbsps clarified butter (at room temperature)
- 2 tbsps stevia (or 1/3 cup sugar or 1/3 cup erythritol)
- 2 tbsps honey (avoid if you have glycemic issues)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp nutmeg (ground)
- 1 pinch cloves (ground)
- 1 pinch fine salt
- as needed chocolate heart-shaped decorations
Useful Tools
- Stand Mixer
- Parchment Paper
- Bowls
- Food Scale
- Spoon
- Cookie Cutter
- Pastry Board
- Plastic Wrap
Preparing the Gingerbread Men
In this recipe, I use a stand mixer (to make the process easier), but you can knead by hand, just follow the sequence of ingredients in the various steps!
Start by placing all the spices listed in the recipe plus a pinch of salt into a small bowl and mix them with a spoon until combined.
Attach the flat beater to the stand mixer, pour the room temperature butter, eggs, stevia, and honey into the bowl and mix for 1 minute at speed 2.
Now add the flour and the spice mix prepared earlier into the bowl, run the stand mixer at speed 2 for 2 minutes, then at speed 4 for 1 minute, voilà the shortbread is ready!
Turn out the shortbread onto the pastry board, compact it into a ball shape, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to rest for 1 hour before using it.
After resting in the fridge, take out the shortbread, dust the pastry board with flour and roll out the shortbread to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin, cut out the men with the cookie cutter, then gather the scraps, roll out again and continue this way until all the dough is used (this recipe yields 15 pieces).
Place each gingerbread man on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, preheat the oven to 392°F.
When the oven is at temperature, bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, always check for doneness. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool without touching them (if touched when hot, they are still soft and you risk breaking them).
Once cooled, decorate them by placing the heart-shaped chocolate eyes (attach them with a drop of liquid honey), now they are ready to be enjoyed or packaged and gifted!
GINGERBREAD MEN
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Notes and Tips on Gingerbread Men
To decorate them traditionally, you can use royal icing and create any designs you want.
To gift them, you can package them in transparent cellophane bags tied with white and red ties reminiscent of candy canes.
You can add 1 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dough if desired.
FAQ
Can I skip the ground cloves?
Yes, you can skip the ground cloves.
Can I use brown sugar?
Yes, you can use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
