I love gingerbread cookies, so was eager to try this version from the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Bakery. A quick glance at the ingredients showed more the recipe used more than the usual amount of butter plus used confectioners sugar instead of granulated, so I knew it would have a different flair. The cookies are dipped in colored sugar before baking so that was a difference also, a welcome one since I always make too much royal icing, it always gets everything globbed up and I don't have much piping talent.
Here's the recipe with 'my take' changes and tips in parentheses.
Ingredients
2 sticks butter softened
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 eggs
3 2/3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground star anise (I couldn't find this so just got regular anise and ground it in my coffee grinder)
1 teaspoon ground fennel (couldn't find this so left out)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup colored decorating sugar
1/4 cup milk
Combine butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer and beat until smooth.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, coriander, anise, baking powder, fennel, ginger, cloves, mace and salt into a separate large bowl. (I had massive problems with the dough getting too crumbly and had to fix it, so just to make sure this doesn't happen to you, I'd suggest just mixing the spices, etc., into ONE cup of flour. Then add that cup and mix well. You can then slowly add the remaining flour until the dough is the proper consistency, and if the entire amount isn't needed, at least you have all the spices mixed in).
Slowly add dry ingredients until dough holds together (see above);
Remove dough from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Divide dough in half, and return one half to refrigerator. Place the other half on a floured work surface. Roll dough to 1/8" thickness, flouring work surface as needed.
Cut out cookies with cookie cutter, dipping cutters into flour to make a neat edge (it's even better if you have a Mickey Gingerbread Man cookie cutter).
Lightly brush cookies with milk and sprinkle with colored sugar (I just flopped the whole thing in a plate of the sugar to coat it well).
Bake until firm and edges begin to darken, 10-14 minutes. Allow cookies to slightly cool on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire racks to completely cool.
Repeat with remaining dough.
These are really good! I think I like them even better than traditional gingerbread men, since they have more of a shortbread texture and the sugar coating gives then a good crunch. Winner!
