Gingerbread man (gingerbread cookies) is a type of cake commonly made during the annual Xmas festival. Called gingerbread, but in the cake, there are many different herbs, not only ginger. The herbs are ginger, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. All are ground in the form of flour for the cake. However, making the color of the cake slightly brownish is molasses.
The remarkable thing about this gingerbread cookie is probably the spices that create warmth in each piece of cake, making it at Christmas when the weather is frigid. The color of the cake also helps people’s imagination soar and use gingerbread to decorate to create images of houses made entirely of candies.
This easy gingerbread man is great for baking with your child, and it makes a lovely handmade Xmas present. Make gingerbread man or any other shapes that you like.
Let’s check it with us now to get a thought-out answer!
How To Make Gingerbread Man
It’s not too tricky to make gingerbread at home. Refer to our instructions below:
Preparation Before Making Gingerbread Man
Ingredients to make 20 –25 gingerbread biscuits
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) plain flour (with plus extra for rolling out)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (it includes all the necessary spices so that you can use it)
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter (let it melt at room temperature)
- 1/3 cup (70 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
Royal icing
- 1 egg white (about 30 grams)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups (220 grams) powdered sugar, sifted through a sieve
Special Tools
- Eggbeater
- Cookie cutters
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheets
- Baking mats
Instructions For Making Gingerbread Man
Step 1
First, prepare to measure all the ingredients to make gingerbread cookies. Note that to count molasses or honey without sticking to the measuring cup, you should apply or spray a layer of cooking oil into the cup first.
Step 2
Add the softened butter at room temperature and beat with the brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then add 1 egg and beat well. Next, add molasses (or honey) and beat until blended.
Step 3
The remaining dry ingredients include flour, salt, spices, baking soda, mix well in a ready bowl, divide into 3 parts, and beat together with the wet ingredients beaten above. Whisk the ingredients, collect the dough, wrap it into a round ball with food paper, and place it in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours overnight. Because this dough is quite soft when it’s just finished, it must be put in the fridge to cool before it can be rolled and cut quickly.
Step 4
After the dough has cooled and hardened a bit, you bring it out to roll. Sprinkle flour on the bottom of the cutting board or the top of the rolling pin, and sprinkle flour on top of the dough and rolling pin to avoid sticking. Roll out the dough about 0.5 – 0.75 cm thin, and then use a cookie cutter to cut it as you like. Place the cut cakes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Step 5
Once done, put the cut cake tray in the refrigerator to chill for about 15-20 minutes so that when baking, the cake will change shape. Now turn on the preheated oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) to prepare to bake.
You should collect the dough, knead, roll and cut it until the dough is gone. If it’s hot and the dough seems too soft, gather it and put it back in the fridge. As long as the dough is cold, rolling and cutting the cake will be very easy.
Step 6
Return the cooled cake to the preheated oven to bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cake begins to brown slightly on the edges. The softness or crispiness of the cake depends on the baking time. If you want the cake to be a little softer, then shorten the baking time a bit.
Step 7
Let the cake cool completely on the rack (overnight). Then prepare royal icing to decorate the cake. Beat the egg whites with a bit of lemon juice until it starts to foam, then slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy. When lifted, the mixture flows gradually. You can adjust more sugar or add water to get the consistency you want for drawing.
Put the royal icing in a food storage bag and cut the top small to paint to your liking. You can use an ice cream bag and the smallest lettering tip if available. Now you can unleash your creativity with your drawings.
Simple Ways to Decorate Gingerbread Man
After the gingerbread man has baked and cooled, it’s time to decorate your cookies. We will talk eyes, bow-ties, smiles, buttons, squiggles, and whatever your gingerbread man cookies desire.
Once you have your gingerbread man, you might be wondering some exciting ideas on how to decorate them. So now, let me give you some tips and tricks to make your cookies look funny with essential ingredients that you can find anywhere near you.
- Royal Icing
- Candy Melts
- Candies
- Sprinkling Sugars
- Lovely Sprinkles
- Rubber Stamps
I know the list above does not look like much, but that’s the easiest way you can find to make your gingerbread man look funny and great! Trust me! Using some simple tools and essential ingredients makes some unique Xmas cookies without a lot of effort. Besides, buying sprinkles and funny candies makes me happy. Do you agree with me on that one?
Royal Icing
This is one of the most traditional ways to decorate a gingerbread man, and it must be listed first! Royal icing is made from egg whites (or you can use store-bought meringue powder) mixed with powdered sugar and water. It sticks so great!
It dries firm, making it the excellent “glue” for any gingerbread cookies. It’s lovely, and the royal icing adds a soft, crunchy texture to gingerbread cookies. That being said, the royal icing is not so delicious that it makes you want to pile it on the top of your cookie. Just simple lines and outlines are all you need to decorate your gingerbread.
Put the royal icing in a food storage bag and cut the top small to paint to your liking. You can use an ice cream bag and the smallest lettering tip if available. Now you can unleash your creativity with your drawings. This is an easy way for your kids to decorate cookies with their imagination and creativity.
Candy Melts
Decorating your gingerbread man by using candy melts with a paintbrush is funny. You must agree with me, and I am pretty sure that your children will like it.
I don’t like dipping the whole cookie in the chocolate melt or candy melt because it will change the taste and texture of your gingerbread cookies. So using a paintbrush to decorate is a good way.
Just melt your candy in a microwave from 1-2 minutes until your candies melt. Then you should use a clean and good paintbrush to draw whatever you like on the top of your cookies. It looked so pretty! You could also dip the gingerbread man in the candy melts bowl if you want.
But remember, the idea here is just a little will go a long way, not overload your gingerbread man with too many candies or chocolate.
Candies
I am pretty keen on using seasonal candies. It’s easy to find and to decorate any type of cookie! I am a big fan of M&,,M. So I will use it immediately with my gingerbread man without a second thought.
You can also use things like gumdrops, Sixlets, whatever. Just pick some in the supermarket and don’t forget to ask your kids about this. I am pretty easy about decorating gingerbready sure that they will give you some helpful advice!
Sprinkling Sugars
I am a big fan of chubby sprinkling sugar (especially the colored one) to decorate gingerbread. When you make the gingerbread cookies, you have to cut them out and place your uncooked dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Before baking them, you can sprinkle your cookies with coarse sugars and then lightly press them into the dough. Then bake it and let it cool.
You will see that the texture of the sprinkling sugars goes well with the gingerbread cookies. It looks great, and of course (best of all), just a few shakes before baking the cookies! Such a simple and easy way to prepare for your Christmas holiday.
Lovely Sprinkles
Lovely sprinkles are so much easier to find. Sprays can be picked almost everywhere; just look around! You can order it online or go to any grocery stores and supermarkets near you.
You should lightly press different sprinkles into the gingerbread man dough before baking, and then bake them as directed. This is going to be a super easy and super fun way to decorate your gingerbread cookies.
You might want to add some details to the top of your cookies without much effort on your part. You should do a few tests on sprinkling sugars first before committing it to a whole bunch of gingerbread men. While there are a few sprinkles melted when cooked, others are not affected by heat. So you may just bake them and find which is your best choice!
Rubber Stamps
How to decorate your gingerbread man with funny rubber stamps?
First, you might want to wash the rubber stamps with soap and water to make sure that your rubber stamps are clean. Then you press the rubber stamps lightly into the dough before baking.
Then you can bake it directly, and that’s it! How lovely, simple, and fun the rubber stamps turn out. In terms of symbols, you will have so many options. You will be surprised at how well the letters come out and how cute the snowflakes look.
If you have no idea when reading our article about how to make a gingerbread man, let’s watch this video:
Final Thoughts: Everyone Can Easily Make Gingerbread Man
Hey, are you there? If you will, say yes, we bet you have already cleared the topic “gingerbread man” today and are ready to make it right now. With essential ingredients that you can find in any supermarket or grocery store, you might have an enjoyable and happy weekend with your kids.
Gingerbread man is always warm from the outside to the inside. The ingredients to make gingerbread are warm spices so that when creating and baking the cake in the oven, you can also smell that aroma and warmth.
When you decorate it with your family, it feels even warmer. And when it’s time to bite into a piece of cake, it feels warm and turns around. The ingredients to make gingerbread are warm spices so that when creating and baking the cake in the oven, you can also smell that aroma and warmth.
In conclusion, we hope that this article has brought you practical knowledge and instruction to make a gingerbread man with ease right at your house. Please stay tuned because we will come back soon with more exciting knowledge.
