Gingerbread Blossoms Recipe (2025)

FAQs

What happens if you don't chill gingerbread dough? ›

2. Forgetting to chill the dough. It's tempting to want to roll out the dough as soon as it comes together, but let it have a little time to rest. Chilling it for at least two hours or overnight gives the ingredients a chance to absorb one another, making it a whole lot easier to roll out the dough without it cracking.

Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.” Cookbook author and ”Great American Baking Show” winner Vallery Lomas likes a gingerbread cookie that's packed with flavor. “I want to taste a lot of the spices ― especially ginger,” she said.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours to allow the dough to firm up, and up to three days ahead. Proceed with the recipe as written - such as my easy gingerbread cookie recipe.

Molasses is the essential ingredient in gingerbread cookies, providing the chewy texture and almost burnt sugar flavor that characterizes the treat.

To make sticky gingerbread dough easier to work with, chill it for at least 1 hour before rolling it out. Roll out the dough on a surface that's lightly dusted with flour or a mixture of flour and confectioners' sugar (aka powdered sugar).

As she says, not chilling the cookie and baking at 350 degrees can result in a more crackly cookie, since the dough hasn't had enough time to absorb the flour. Chilling it for half an hour, however, gives you thicker, chewier dough.

Over mixing the dough can lead to a tough textured cookie that doesn't hold its shape as well. Mix on low speed each time while slowly scraping down the sides of the bowl mixing just until everything is combined.

Add molasses and vanilla and beat until completely incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Dough should be soft (not dry or crumbly) but not sticky. If sticky, add a few tablespoons of flour until desired consistency is achieved.

Dough gets its rise from leavening agents and a process called proofing where you cover the dough and place it in a warm, moist environment. You can use a microwave to make dough rise by placing the dough and a cup of boiling water inside the microwave and closing the door.

On the day you choose to bake your gingerbread, you will need to remove it from the fridge and let it rest between 1/2 an hour and an hour or so before you start rolling it out. It will feel quite hard but don't worry a little bit of massaging will soften it up and make it an excellent dough to work with.

Can you chill gingerbread dough in the freezer? ›

Sugar cookie dough freezes very well, as does gingerbread dough. You can scoop cookie dough, freeze the balls, pack them in baggies and then bake them directly from the freezer. I wouldn't try it with delicate batters like macarons or lace cookies, but 99% of cookie doughs should freeze with no problem.

Molasses – Essential for that deep, rich, caramel-like gingerbread flavour! It also helps hold the dough's shape. Golden syrup makes a great sub, or treacle. Honey will also work, but the cookies will spread out a touch more and not have the same deep flavour (but still very, very good!).

Dark Molasses

How to use it: It can generally be used in place of light molasses and is what gives gingerbread cookies their distinct color and flavor.

“Light molasses is the sweetest and mildest out of the bunch because it is made from the first boiling cycle,” she said. “I like to use this type of molasses because it adds moisture to cookies, resulting in a soft and chewy texture.”

The longer you chill the dough, the more flavor will develop. The flour will also absorb more of the moisture so the thicker and chewier the final texture will be.

Gingerbread is supposed to have crisp edges and a soft centre, overworking the dough will make them tough – and nobody wants that! Chill your dough in the fridge before you roll it out, this relaxes the gluten in the dough and makes it easier to handle.

There's no need to chill cookie dough for most bar cookies, unless you prefer the flavor difference. We do not recommend chilling macarons, spritz cookies, or other creations that involve a cookie press or piping; this will be much more challenging with a chilled mixture. You're crunched for time.

Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.