Spiced Orange Gingerbread Cookies
W has been asking to listen to the Johnny Depp Christmas song. I inquired as to which that might be. “You know, the one that says ‘let’s be Johnny Depp’!”
I eventually deciphered it: “voices singing let’s be Johnny Depp! the halls with boughs of holly…”
If this weekend had a flavour, it would have been gingerbread. On Saturday, one batch was enough for W and 6 friends/cousins to roll, cut, bake and decorate. The thing I love about working with gingerbread dough: as you reroll and cut the scraps, rather than get dry, tough and crumbly, the dough gets wonderfully smooth and leathery; I’m quite certain no kid has complained about the finished product.
On Sunday, my sister made a whole neighbourhood of gingerbread houses – one for each family to decorate. The were connected and reinforced with molten sugar so as to structurally tolerate a maximum candy load.
On Sunday night, baths were necessary to rid everyone of excess icing.
Spiced Orange Gingerbread Cookies
AuthorJulieIn a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, molasses, water and orange zest with an electric mixer or by hand until smooth. In another large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt and cloves.
Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, stirring by hand just until you have a soft dough. Divide the dough in half, shape each piece into a disc, wrap in plastic and let sit for half an hour, refrigerate for a few days, or freeze.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/8” thick. Cut out with cookie cutters and place about an inch apart on a parchment-lined sheet.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until set and slightly darker golden around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, molasses, water and orange zest with an electric mixer or by hand until smooth. In another large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt and cloves.
Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, stirring by hand just until you have a soft dough. Divide the dough in half, shape each piece into a disc, wrap in plastic and let sit for half an hour, refrigerate for a few days, or freeze.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/8” thick. Cut out with cookie cutters and place about an inch apart on a parchment-lined sheet.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until set and slightly darker golden around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Gingerbread cookies are so cute! Love how kids are involved! I’ve never made gingerbread cookies before and I know my boys would love to do this!
We have done this for many years. We bake the pieces and put them together with hot sugar syrup, then each family member decorates their own house. We usually put together anywhere from 10 to 14 houses. I got the idea from Christmas in November years ago!
Greetings from Southwestern Ontario! I was given your cookbook a couple of months ago and am working my way through it. LOVE IT! Yesterday I did a post on your book and I am giving away a copy. All the best, Brenda.
Love the Johnny Depp song, although I did have to listen closely for that hidden message. My adult daughter ( you know who ) still loves to make a gingerbread house for Christmas. What a lovely tradition!
I had not fully appreciated that song until now. Thank you, W: I really like Johnny Depp.
Mmm, thank you for the gingerbread cookie recipe, Julie. Just the smell of these baking will make our house merry and bright!
Love the Johnny Depp song! He really does come up with some good ones! What do you do for icing? Just a mix of icing sugar, butter and milk? I’m obsessed with finding a really good (and easy) gingerbread cookie icing and a sugar cookie icing…
Hi Julie
That is a classic!!! “let’s be Johnny, Depp the halls with boughs…”
Never forget that sweet anecdote. I bet it’ll come out every Christmas. Only wish I’d written down all the remarkable things the kids have said.
Rose
Gingerbread is a holiday staple around our house. i make my Great-grandma’s Gingersnaps, Gingerbread pudding cake, and traditional Gingerbread cookies. Rose-here is a fantastic recipe for icing sugar cookies. I use the dipping method and found that a little patience is required! After dipping, hold the cookie upside down long enough for the excess icing to drip off; once you flip the cookie over and set it on a rack to dry, the icing will smooth out nicely. After the icing is dry, you can add piping details. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sugar-cookie-icing/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=best%20sugar%20cookie%20icing&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
Looks like a lot of fun! Love the addition of orange to the recipe-I have a Gingerbread House day at J’s school soon & was looking for a reliable dough. Thank you for the recipe & Thanks W for the new appreciation of an old favourite 🙂
Oh, gingerbread cookies, icing, and kids! I miss those days. I LOLed at your son’s brilliant lyric update to the classic–made my day 🙂
My husband and I have been belting out “Let’s be Johnny DEPP the halls …” all morning as we get ready for the day. I doubt we’ll ever sing it any other way. Love it. Thanks W. Thanks Julie.
That song is hilarious! I love the gingerbead, too.
This is a wonderful addition to my holiday,
🙂
I thought W might be grwoing out of his adorableness now that he is going to school and all but he did it again! Sweet – and not just the brick houses!
What a great way to get children involved and have them love it too. Gingerbread cookies are awesome!
What a great way to get children involved and have them love it too. Gingerbread cookies are awesome!
That’s hilarious. How would a 5 year old even know who Johnny Depp is?