Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›

These Are the Most Popular Christmas Cookies Across the United States—Peanut Butter Blossoms Topped the List! General Mills collected search data to determine which recipes were the favorites in all 50 states.

In the late 17th century, gingerbread became associated with Christmas. Russian bakers prepared gingerbread men and women, usually as replicas of those people attending parties. Gingerbread houses were introduced about 200 years later, when the Grimm brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel. A new holiday tradition was born.

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.

You can help keep freshly baked gingerbread cake fresh a little longer by storing it in the fridge, but it is not recommended because it dries out much faster there. Gingerbread cookies and gingerbread houses should be stored in a tightly closed container on the counter or in the pantry.

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

Long before it became a holiday treat, gingerbread was a royal favorite, a token of fertility, and a tool for witches to exact their vengeance. The pudgy gingerbread man with his candy eyes and icing smile has a sinister backstory—a link to death and the demonic.

Nuremberg was recognized as the "Gingerbread Capital of the World" when in the 1600s the guild started to employ master bakers and skilled workers to create complicated works of art from gingerbread. Medieval bakers used carved boards to create elaborate designs.

The answer to whether gingerbread houses are edible lies in the type of recipe or kit used. Traditional gingerbread houses, made with a softer gingerbread recipe, are almost always edible, while those made for decoration are usually not. Decorations and icing are typically edible but it's best to always double-check.

Are there any substitutes for molasses? It won't taste exactly the same, but maple syrup can work in a pinch.

If you don't love the flavor of coffee, there are so many other flavor options to pair with gingerbread: lemon, white chocolate, caramel, chocolate – to name a few.

What happens if I don't chill my gingerbread dough? ›

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.

Cutting and shaping gingerbread

You need to cut your gingerbread shapes when they're raw, but sometimes they spread or get misshapen when cooking. If this happens, trim your pieces back to their shapes while the gingerbread is still warm.

Yes, you can freeze gingerbread. Wrap the cooled cake in storage wrap, then wrap it again in a layer of foil. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world. How much do youknow about chocolate chip cookies?

Chocolate Chip cookies

You can never go wrong with these classic, delicious cookies. Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

Among those who can make a single choice, frosted sugar cookies lead the list (32%), with gingerbread (12%) and chocolate chip (11%) rounding out the top three. Snickerdoodles (6%) come in fourth place, followed by butter (4%), peanut butter (4%), and chocolate (4%) tying for fifth.

The most searched holiday cookie in Texas was the classic Italian Christmas Cookie. It was also a top search for 14 other states. Neighboring states had a craving for a different kind of cookie.