12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 6

I thought I would make the midpoint of our cookie recipe adventure one that you can get a little creative with. A lot of people can't hack the "spiciness" of gingerbread, so I have found that this cocoa remix of the classic recipe mellows the flavor a bit. Let me know what you think!

Recipe: Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted Butter, softened

3/4 cup (165 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (170 grams) unsulphured molasses

1 large egg (50 grams)

1 large egg yolk (19 grams)

1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract

3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda

1/2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt

2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground ginger

2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons (1 gram) ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cloves

***Vanilla Icing***

1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons (30 t0 45 grams) whole milk

1 teaspoon (7 grams) light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract

Steps:

1. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (3-4 minutes) Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix to incorporate all ingredients.

2. Add molasses and beat until combined.

3. Add egg and egg yolk (one at a time) beating well after each.

4. Add vanilla and beat until combined

5. Mix dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves) in separate bowl.

6. Add dry ingredient mixture to butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low speed until fully combined.

7. Roll all the dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic or wax paper. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days)

8. Preheat oven to 350 ° F (180 °C).

9. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

10. On a heavily floured surface, roll dough about ¼ inch thick. For thinner cookies, be sure to adjust your baking time. Thinner cookies will cook faster.

11. Cut gingerbread people (or desired shape) using 4 inch cookie cutter. Place cookies at least 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

12. Bake in batches being sure to keep the dough cold and firm between batches.

13. Bake until cookies appear puffed and dry (8-10 minutes. Times will vary due to cookie sheet type and oven type).

14. Let cookies cool on pan for 5 minutes before moving to wire racks to completely cool.

15. Decorate cookies as desired using the vanilla icing ***Recipe follows***

Vanilla Icing (Makes 1 cup)

Steps:

1. Whisk confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth.

2. Add remaining milk if needed to achieve desired consistency.

***Store in airtight container for up to 1 week. Whisk before using

Decorative recipe pages can be found in the Academy Vault