- Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups AP white flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure GF FLour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 1/2 - 1 tsp Ginger (ground)
- 3/4 cup Butter
- 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- Dried cherries and cranberries
- Decorating Icing (White)
Directions
In a large ceramic bowl, whisk together flour, soda, spices and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, place butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until it is incorporated into the mixture.With the mixer reduced to low, add in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time making sure each addition is incorporated well before adding the next third. Stop and scrape down the bowl to make sure all the flour gets into the butter mixture before continuing to add the rest of the flour. When all is added, stop beating. Take bowl off the stand and with a large wooden spoon, continue to mix in the flour until it is incorporated into the dough.Gather the dough into a ball and then pat it down into a flat disk so it will be easy to roll out. Wrap the dough in plastic and cover with foil or place in a zip lock bag. Chill in the fridge a few hours or overnight. See note above about how to proceed after chilling, and how to roll out and bake 6-8 minutes,*Steps for Attaching the Dried Fruit:Prepare the Icing/Glue: You need a thick, edible adhesive. Royal icing is ideal because it dries hard and clear, but a thick mixture of powdered sugar and a tiny bit of milk or water will also work.Mix a few tablespoons of powdered sugar with a few drops of milk or water until it reaches a consistency where it holds its shape but can be piped or dabbed onto the cookie.Rehydrate the Fruit (Optional but Recommended): Dried fruit can be hard, which makes eating the cookie difficult. Soaking them briefly in hot water (or juice/brandy for extra flavor) for about 15 minutes will soften them. Drain and pat them completely dry with a paper towel before use.Prepare the Fruit for Placement:Cherries (mouth): Depending on the size of your cookies and the look you want, you can use a whole cherry, or use clean kitchen scissors or a knife to cut the cherries into smaller pieces or a smile shape.Cranberries (buttons): Whole cranberries work well for buttons.Attach the Fruit:Apply a small dot or thin line of icing to the back of the dried fruit piece.Gently press the fruit onto the desired location on the prebaked, cooled gingerbread cookie.Let the Icing Set: Allow the cookies to sit undisturbed for the icing to dry and the fruit to firmly attach. This simple decoration method will allow you to get the festive look you want!Of course you can decorate with icing, but as I am icing challenged (lol) I use fruit to decorate my gingerbread men.
