Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

This year we made these adorable Classic Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookies and they turned out to be so cute I knew I just had to share. We’ve even included a downloadable so you can make your own little gingerbread house place settings!

Decorating gingerbread cookies is such a timeless tradition. Whether as a kid or an adult it’s the perfect activity for a cold winter day. This year we got creative with how many ways we can use gingerbread cookies – oh what FUN!

Gingerbread Place-Settings

We first made a batch of these cookies when we set the table for our Christmas Dinner. We made these adorable little house for each place setting to make it extra special. Our guests not only got something cute to look at, they could eat their little cookie for dessert or take it home and put it on their tree. They took a little time to decorate but it made for a fun afternoon activity.

To Make These Gingerbread Place Settings:

1. Download the template we used here
2. Print off your house template and cut out the shapes.
3. Roll out your gingerbread dough until about 1/2 cm thick. Place a house cutout on top of dough and use a small knife to cut out the shape of the house.
4. Transfer to a large baking sheet and bake according to recipe instructions.

We simply piped royal icing on the cookies to create windows and doors using a thin icing tip. To create the look of snow at the bottom of the houses we simply took a new clean paint brush and brushed on a light coat of icing, then immediately sprinkled on the sparkly sugar (you can buy this at Bulk Barn or Michaels among other places, it comes in a little shaker jar) – shake off any excess and let it dry.

Gingerbread Men

We also made some adorable little gingerbread men to use as ornaments for the tree. Now if you follow me on instagram you’ll see this kinnndaaaaa backfired. Charles and I were sitting having a glass of wine the other night when he noticed all the gingerbread men on the lower half of the tree were missing their limbs. Little Max had gone around and eaten ALL of the arms and legs of the gingerbread men.  Haha and here I thought they were being so good.

Someone had the cutest idea a few days ago where they made gingerbread men for their tree 7 days before Christmas and each day they let their kids eat a cookie off the tree! So much fun I might have to try it this year so I’m not just torturing the kids with cookies they can’t eat.

Classic Gingerbread Recipe

5 from 2 votes

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Gingerbread Man Ornaments

These DIY Gingerbread Ornaments are the cutest thing to grace the tree this year and simple to make with the kids this holiday season! Plus you can make them into houses for the cutest table setting treat.

Course Baking

Cuisine American

Keyword Baking, cookies, Gingerbread, holiday

Servings 36 cookies

Author Fraîche Living

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup fancy molasses
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses until fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition.

2. In a separate medium bowl sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, all spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix to combine (I start using a spoon or my mixture then finish with my hands).

3. Divide the dough into 2 balls, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, form into thick disk (easier to roll) and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (you can bake in batches if you only have one baking sheet).

5. Roll each ball of dough out on a lightly floured clean surface until around 1/8" thick. Using a cookie cutter or "home" template, cut out the cookies and use a metal spatula to lift each cookie to the baking sheet, leaving about 1/2" apart. Repeat with the remaining dough. You can re-roll the scraps once (gets too dry after that in my experience).

6. Using a plastic straw, cut a hole in the top of the head (or near the top of any shape you're using). Repeat with the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies until they are just golden brown, around 12-15 minutes and remove from the oven. Cool on a cooling rack.

8. Cut a ribbon or piece of string 10-12" long and wind it through the hole half-way. Tie it once at the base of the cookie, move up the string or ribbon about 3" and tie a bow at the top. Hang on the tree!