Description
These Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies are a delightful holiday treat combining the warm spices of traditional gingerbread with rich cocoa and finely chopped semisweet chocolate. Perfect for festive cookie decorating parties or gifting, they offer a unique twist on classic gingerbread with a tender texture and deep chocolate flavor. Finished with a smooth royal icing made from meringue powder, these cookies are as beautiful as they are delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Wet Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft but still cool and cut into 12 pieces
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 2 ounces at least 60% cacao semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
Royal Icing
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4-8 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, cocoa powder, dark brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and orange zest on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Butter: Add the cold, cut butter pieces to the dry mixture and mix on medium-low speed until the texture becomes sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1.5 minutes. Then add the finely chopped chocolate and stir to blend evenly.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Remove the whisk attachment and attach the paddle. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and molasses. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the molasses mixture. Mix just until the dough becomes moist, then increase speed to medium and mix for about 15 seconds until thoroughly combined.
- Chill Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, divide it in half, and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm but not sticky.
- Roll and Freeze Dough: Roll each portion of chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thickness. Stack and freeze these dough sheets on a baking sheet until firm, approximately 15 minutes.
- Prepare Oven and Cookie Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut Cookies: Remove one dough sheet from the freezer onto a floured surface or silicone mat. Peel off the top parchment paper, then flip the dough, remove the bottom paper, and discard it. Cut dough into 3 to 5-inch sized gingerbread people or desired Christmas shapes. Gather scraps for reuse.
- Chill Cut Cookies: Transfer cookies with a wide metal spatula to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3/4 inch apart. Return baking sheets with cookies to the freezer briefly to firm the dough before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake on the middle oven rack for 8-12 minutes, until the edges are set. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Re-roll Scraps: Combine leftover dough scraps, roll out again between parchment sheets, freeze, and continue cutting and baking cookies until all dough is used.
- Make Royal Icing: In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, and 4 tablespoons water. Beat with a hand mixer on low, gradually increasing to high, for 1-2 minutes until the icing has a smooth, flowing consistency. Add more water as needed. Prepare icing just before decorating for the best texture.
- Decorate Cookies: Transfer the royal icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe outlines and decorations on cooled cookies as desired.
Notes
- These cookies offer a unique chocolate twist on classic gingerbread flavors.
- Keep the dough chilled and work quickly to prevent stickiness and ensure clean shapes.
- Freezing dough before cutting and baking helps cookies keep their shape.
- Royal icing dries quickly, so prepare it shortly before decorating to maintain the best consistency.
- Perfect for festive cookie decorating parties or gifting to loved ones during the holidays.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 423
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 187mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 46mg
