Gingerbread Cookies

Last night I had a hankering for something sweet.  I decided to try out a new gingerbread cookie recipe despite Simon's objections (he doesn't particularly like gingerbread).  It was a good move.  These seasonal cookies hit the spot.

Just keep in mind before you begin making these cookies that they require some extra time for chilling the dough!  

Recipe:
Gingerbread Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 3/4 cup sugar (+ about 1/4 cup extra sugar to coat the cookies at the end)
• 1.5 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer powder (or another equivalent of 1 egg)
• 2/3 cup molasses

First, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in a small/medium bowl.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (this could take about 3 or 4 minutes).  Add the egg replacer powder and molasses to the mixture and beat until combined.  Then add the flour mixture in a couple batches, beating until smooth.  Only if needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to get the right cookie-dough consistency.
Once your dough is prepared, divide the dough in half, wrap each chunk in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
When you're ready to begin baking the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Next, add the extra 1/4 cup sugar to a separate small bowl.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in the sugar until coated. Place the cookies on the cookie sheets and bake for about 12 minutes. 

Comments:
These cookies are not ginger snaps; they're chewy gingerbread cookies.  I like that, and apparently Simon did too since he had seconds and thirds.  As my dad always says, cookies are meant to be eaten three at a time!

These gingerbread cookies can be sugar-coated, as I included in the recipe above, or they could be iced with vegan royal icing (icing that dries to a smooth, hard, matte finish) or rolled out and cut into gingerbread shapes.  The possibilities are endless!  Have fun with these cookies.

I'm going to make my vegan brownies for a holiday party this evening--I've already blogged about those, so here's the recipe: Fudgy Brownies.