This week has been all about the cookies for me. With the holidays coming up, The Best Chewy Cafe-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies have been all over the web, which makes me a happy gal. Especially because it's given me an excuse to make a couple of extra batches this week. "I just want to make sure they're still the best chocolate chip cookies, I guess I should taste test at least a dozen of them... yup, we're all good."
While I feel like most everyone has a go-to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for the holiday season, I don't know many people with a go-to Ginger Cookie recipe! They're underrated, I tell you.
It might be because we usually associate Ginger Cookies with Gingerbread Cookies, which are too often tough and cardboard-y. I can understand making houses out of them, or ornaments, or whatever it is that doesn't require you to chip a tooth while trying to chow down, but eating Gingerbread Cookies has never been on my radar. They sure do smell amazing, though.
With that in mind, I decided to make a Ginger Cookie that those of us who like our cookies soft & chewy can enjoy. These Ginger Cookies would combine the typical spices from gingerbread and from chai tea, and they'd be topped with a dollop of eggnog frosting for a little extra Christmahanakwanzikah kick.
I baked 7 batches of these cookies over the past few weeks, trying to get them just right before I set the recipe in stone. I have eaten more Soft & Chewy Ginger Cookies with Eggnog Frosting than most people should in a decade. I now consider myself an expert on them, and that being said, this is the perfect ginger cookie recipe. I'm not biased in the slightest.
Add these to your cookie tray this holiday season and see just how delicious Ginger Cookies can be. They might just find wind up at the top of your must-make yearly baking list!
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Soft & Chewy Ginger Cookies with Eggnog Frosting
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
Description
Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients
For the Ginger Cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup molasses
For the Eggnog Frosting:
- ½ cup butter at room temp
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup eggnog
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cornstarch, cloves, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and then mix in the vanilla extract and molasses. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, a bit at a time, until evenly combined. Be sure to not over-mix. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the Eggnog Frosting. Beat together the butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar until you get a thick frosting consistency. Beat in the eggnog, a bit at a time. If necessary beat in more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Set aside.
- Roll the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons of the dough). Place on the prepared baking sheets, evenly spaced. Gently press on the tops of the dough balls to flatten them down slightly. Bake each tray of cookies for 8-10 minutes, and then let cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Spoon the frosting on top of the cookies and use the back of the spoon to smooth it out. Let set and then sprinkle with extra ground cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
Amit says
Superb...tempting
Best of luck for future
Allison says
These look amazing! I plan on making these tomorrow. I'm wondering, however, does the frosting harden or remain soft like frosting for cupcakes. I'm somewhat hoping to be able to transport these stacked in a container. I could always frost them when I get to the thing I'm going to...
Morgan says
It hardens up. I stacked mine to bring to work & share with coworkers, and while they did wind up with a bit of frosting on the bottoms, it wasn't excessive. Try layering parchment paper in between each layer after letting them set out to harden up a bit (or refrigerating) and you should be good!
Kayla says
I tried this recipe today, and I'm very happy with the results. I did add a bit more egg nog to the frosting, but other than that, I followed the remainder of the recipe to a T, and they're wonderful! I want to bake some for Christmas gifts, but I was unsure how long they stay good for--- have they lasted long enough in your household to have an idea? Thanks in advance!
Morgan says
I only had mine for about 24 hours as I brought the remainder in for my coworkers, but in the previous batches pre-tweaking, they did well if sealed in a plastic container and refrigerated for up to 4 days (only because they were eaten before I could tell if they'd last any longer)! Due to the molasses and cornstarch, I'd say that these will stay soft for a long, long time if stored properly though! I'm glad you enjoyed the ones you made today!!
Janet Kemp says
Your chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe has two eggs, but this gingerbread cookie only one....would it ruin the gingerbread cookies if I used two eggs?
Morgan says
This recipe only has one because the other ingredients are liquidy. Just use one here =)
Anita says
After the delicious chocolate chip cookies from another post I HAD to make these ones!
I kept the dough in the fridge overnight and baked them today - they are so DELICIOUS!!! Crunchy and chewy and so yummy this is going straight into my recipe book. Will become a firm favourite.
Thank you!!
ruth says
Would it be alright if i used salted butter for this recipe or should I use unsalted butter? Thank you (: