The holidays are here, which means it’s time to get our bake on! Before you go any further, put on your favorite holiday tunes, pour yourself some hot cocoa or egg nog (spiking it is optional), and get ready for an amazing afternoon of festive fun. No grinches allowed. :)

Gingerbread men are my go-to holiday cookie because they’re guaranteed to make you smile when you see their jolly little faces. Am I right? Plus, with all the sweet treats the holiday season brings, it’s nice to mix it up and take a walk on the spicy side. Now the real decision is what part of these handsome little guys will you eat first?

Recipe from the Genius Kitchen.

Ingredients

Recipe yields 12-15 gingerbread men (variability based on how thick you make them).

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1/2 cup molasses

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until blended. If you are a ginger lover like me, add 1/4 teaspoon more ginger to kick it up a notch!

   
   

2. In a large bowl or KitchenAid mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well-blended. Gradually add the molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest (optional) until smooth.

   
   

3. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until well-blended and smooth.

   
   

4. Using your hands, form a large ball with the dough. Wrap the dough tightly in Saran Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (you can leave the dough in the refrigerator for longer, just make sure it’s in there for a minimum of 2 hours).

5. When you’re ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and remove the dough from the refrigerator, leaving at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling it out (the dough will still be cool when it’s time to roll it out, but letting it heat up a little will make it easier to work with).

   
   

6. Split dough in half and place 1 portion on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour over your dough and your rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll-out dough to 1/4 - 1/3 inch thickness (the thicker the dough, the softer the cookie).

   
   

7. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut each cookie. Place cookies on a lined baking sheet. Space cookies 1 and 1/2 inches apart.

   
   

8. Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes (the longer the bake, the crunchier the cookie).

   
   

9. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool further.

10. Once the cookies are cool, you can decorate them any way you like. I love using Wilton cookie icing packets.

Recipe Notes

• Baked cookies are good for 3-5 days if kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

• My wonderful mother-in-law introduced me Siplat silicon cookie sheet liners and they are a GAME CHANGER. You will never have a cookie stick to the cookie sheet ever again.