Christmas Baking: Gingerbread Cookies
This week: Merry’s Gingerbread Cookies!
Last week, we made Baba Noël’s Egyptian Kahk. The week before, I was joined by fellow readers and BookTubers Kay of Kay’s Hidden Shelf and Andrew of Andrew’s Wizardly Reads as we baked Sugar Cookies!
In 2021, I shared three recipes from three different cookbooks. You can find them here:
In 2022, I shared three more recipes from 19th century cookbooks:
You can also find all my recipe videos in one easy playlist on my YouTube channel. (Be sure to hit that subscribe button while you’re there!)
Join me LIVE at 7:00pm MST (9:00pm EST) on Thursday, Dec 14 or watch later at your leisure!
And now, Merry’s Gingerbread Cookies!
This recipe can be found in the back of Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman!
“Did someone say, ‘No carrots for Christmas?’”
I turned, expecting this last remark to have been made by one of the reindeer, and was surprised to find we’d been joined by a newcomer with a platter of carrot-shaped cookies that smelled more like ginger than carrots.
“Merry!” the reindeer chorused again, encircling the Gingerbread Man.
“As in ‘Merry Christmas’?” I asked.
He gave a licorice-shaped grin. “You got it! I changed my name in the ’60s from ‘Lebkuchen.’ It’s difficult to keep a business running when no one can pronounce your name properly.”
“Are those delicious-smelling treats for us?” Dancer asked hopefully, his nose almost touching the cookie nearest him.
“They’re for my favorite reindeer!” Merry said, then clarified after seeing the disappointed looks on the reindeer around him. “You’re all my favorites!”
The reindeer seemed pleased by this and helped themselves to a cookie or three.
—From Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman
Ingredients:
3 ¼ C flour (all-purpose)
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
1 T ginger
1 T cinnamon
¼ tsp pepper (more if you like them spicy)
¾ C butter, softened
½ C brown sugar
1 egg
½ C molasses
Directions:
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and spices.
- In an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and molasses and beat until combined.
- Mix in the flour mixture a little at a time. You should end up with a stiff dough.
- Chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
- Once the dough has chilled long enough, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough in sections with a floured rolling pin. Cut into your favorite Christmas cookie cutter shapes! (If you roll it thick, you’ll end up with chewier cookies.)
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes.
- Let cool and store in an airtight container or freeze for a Christmas cookie decorating party!
I hope you joined me over the past two weeks as I live baked the recipes found in the back of my latest mystery: Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman!
If you missed them live, you can always go back and watch them later!
Sam Shovel only comes to life for twelve days a year at Christmastime, and this year, he’s in time to solve a murder mystery at the North Pole. O. Tannenbaum—the world’s largest supplier of Christmas trees—has been murdered, and although Nick and Nora Claus are too busy to solve the mystery, Sam has enough time on his branchy hands to take a stab at it.
The North Pole is full of suspects, from the owners of the neighboring candy cane farm to Santa himself! But which Santa? Is it Nick Claus, Père Noël, Sinterklaas, Ded Moroz, der Weihnachtsmann, Sheng dan Lao ren, Baba Noël, or someone else entirely?
Woven with enough Christmas references to choke a reindeer, find out if Sam succeeds in catching the killer in Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman.
A fantastical Christmas cozy mystery perfect for enjoying with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie any time of year!
Pick up a copy in hardback, ebook, and audiobook!
Ebook— Find it in your favorite ebook format!
Audiobook— Find it in your favorite audiobook format!
Print— Purchase a signed hardback copy from me here!
Special Deluxe Christmas Box— Purchase only through our store!
Also available in a special Christmas Deluxe Gift Box!
Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman Deluxe Gift Box now available!
Make this Christmas one you’ll never forget with the gift of this deluxe book box. Inside you’ll find:
—One signed hardback edition of Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman
—One handmade peppermint soap from Honey Mountain Hives, LLC @honeymountainhives_
—One handmade Christmas bookmark with snowflake dangle
—One Christmas cookie cutter
—One package of hot cocoa mix with “unassembled snowman” marshmallows
—Two laminated recipe cards for recipes included in Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman (including the two I’m sharing live!)
—One Christmas tea candle
—One candy cane
—Christmas stickers
Each box will be specially decorated on the outside, with gift-wrapped items inside to make it the perfect addition for under your Christmas tree! (Some items will vary in appearance such as gift wrap, bookmark paper, and cookie cutter design.)
This box worth over $65.00 is available for just $59.99, only at GAMES-AFOOT.SQUARE.SITE! This is your last chance to order now to get it by Christmas!
Special thanks to @honeymountainhives_ for collaborating with me on this box! Visit her website at HoneyMountainHives.com to learn more!
