These tried and true frosted gingerbread cookies are a delicious treat. The cookies are baked to perfection, perfectly soft and chewy, with a delicious vanilla frosting.
My Grandma was a beautiful, classy and wonderful woman. One of the many things I loved about her was how she seemed to always have something edible to share, ranging from freshly picked vegetables straight out of her gorgeous garden to delicious baked goods warm out of her oven. Today is her birthday and she would have been 86. I miss her very much and think of her often; one of the ways I keep her memory alive is through whipping up her amazing recipes for friends and family. When she passed away my sister and I tried to gather all her recipes that we could and put them in little booklets for all the grandkids. I can’t tell you how often I refer to this little recipe book of guaranteed deliciousness. I plan to share many of my Grandma’s recipes here in honor of her and I’ll start with her amazing Gingerbread Cookies. They are great for Valentine’s day, Christmas season, or really any day of the year:
Grandma’s Gingerbread Cookies
1/2 C butter* 1/2 C sugar 1/2 C molasses 1/4 C water 2 1/2 C flour 3/4 t salt 1/2 t soda 3/4 t ginger 1/4 t nutmeg 1/8 t allspiceFrosting
Directions
1. Cream together butter and sugar. Blend in molasses, water, flour, salt, soda, ginger nutmeg and allspice.
2. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degree.
4. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut with cookie cutter and place on un-greased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8-11 minutes (I like mine soft so I always take them out at 8 minutes).
6. Immediately remove from baking sheet.
7. To make frosting combine softened butter and powdered sugar until creamy.
8. Mix in (food coloring, if using), milk, salt, and vanilla. Adjust the amounts of the these ingredients until the frosting reaches your desired consistency and flavor.
7. Frost cookies once they have cooled.
8. Add sprinkles if you like**
Makes about fifteen 4-inch cookies
*The original recipe calls for shortening, not butter, but I just can’t do it. Many in my family likely insist on using shortening but I swear they taste good with butter too!
Frosted Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
These tried and true frosted gingerbread cookies are a delicious treat. The cookies are baked to perfection, perfectly soft and chewy, with a delicious vanilla frosting.Â
Ingredients
Gingerbread Dough
Frosting
- 1 stick butter softened
- 2 C powdered sugar
- milk around 1 T
- pinch of salt
- 1 t vanilla
- food coloring optional
Instructions
-
Cream together butter and sugar. Â Blend in molasses, water, flour, salt, soda, ginger nutmeg and allspice.
-
Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours.
-
Preheat oven to 375 degree.
-
Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured cloth-covered board. Â Cut with cookie cutter and place on un-greased baking sheet.
-
Bake for 8-11 minutes (I like mine soft so I always take them out at 8 minutes).
-
Immediately remove from baking sheet.
Frosting
-
To make frosting combine softened butter and powdered sugar until creamy.
-
Mix in (food coloring, if using), milk, salt, and vanilla. Adjust the amounts of the these ingredients until the frosting reaches your desired consistency and flavor.
-
Frost cookies once they have cooled.
-
Add sprinkles if you like**
Recipe Notes
Makes about fifteen 4-inch cookies
*The original recipe calls for shortening, not butter, but I just can’t do it. Â Many in my family likely insist on using shortening but I swear they taste good with butter too!
**I don’t remember my Grandma ever adding sprinkles, and I don’t normally either, but I was out of food coloring and my daughter begged me to do something to make them “fancy.”
Happy Birthday Grandma, I love you and miss you!
You might also enjoy this monkey bread recipe!
If you make Grandma’s Gingerbread Cookies please share on instagram using hashtag #rainbowdelicious and tag me at @rainbowdelicious , I’d love to see what you are up to in your kitchen!
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I love family recipes especially one as special as this. What a great way to show someone love by cooking them a special recipe.
Same, thanks Kelly!
What a beautiful family picture! These gingerbread cookies would be so fun to make with kids 🙂
My kids love to make them! Thanks Sylvie!
I always think of gingerbread as a Christmas flavor but have seen it popping up more and more during other times of the year and love it! These could totally work for Easter!
Makes sense… I love it at Valentine’s day too!
Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorites! I can’t wait to try your grandmother’s version. Thanks!
Thanks Sophia!
I love hand me down recipes, they’re always a favorite in my house too. This recipe looks like a delicious classic, thanks for sharing!
Thanks Mikayla!
Recipes are great for keeping the memory of our loved ones alive. I bake my Grandma’s snickerdoodle recipe every year at Christmas. These sound like really delicious cookies too!
Thanks Jill, I totally agree!
these cookies are easy to make and really tasty. The family loved them.
So glad to hear this Janelle!
Your recipe reminds me a lot of my grandmother’s recipe for gingerbread cookies too! Both were so good! And I love the frosting you used on yours. Frosting and sprinkles make everything fun!
Aw that’s so special, thanks Jennifer!
My grandma always made gingerbread men when we visited. I love to hear the foods that everyone remembers grandmas making, such fond memories.
The best kind of memories. Thanks Jere!
Special family recipes are the best <3 These cookies are beautiful, and the decorations are divine!
I agree! Thanks Alexandra!