Great Grandma's Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread is a classic holiday flavor, holding flavors of the past. This recipe has been passed down for generations in my family, and I hope it becomes a staple in yours.
Servings 20
Calories 222kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup lard
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- dragees (optional)
Instructions
- Place lard in a large pot. Use real lard; it’s all-natural and makes these cookies taste amazing! Add molasses and sugar. Stir together then boil. After dissolved, let the mixture cool completely.
- In a large mixer, combine cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, eggs, salt, vanilla, and baking soda. Also add flour.
- Add the lard, molasses, and sugar mixture to the mixer and combine until thick. Aim for the dough to be stiff and dense.
- This dough may be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator until used. When ready to make the cookies, start with a floured surface. Roll the dough out to the desired thickness. The dough will not rise much in the oven, so roll it to at least a ¼-inch thickness. To make the shape of the cookie, use something festive, such as a snowflake cookie cutter! The best part of cookie making is the embellishments you add. Just like my grandma in years past, I always use dragees. You can add anything you want to the top of the cookies: just be creative! By adding these elements before baking, the embellishments will adhere better to the cookie.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes at 375°F.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 222kcal