Looking for a fun, unique holiday treat? These Gingerbread Mickey Cookies will be the darling of your dessert table with their instantly recognizable shape and delicious chocolate shell.
Growing up, my grandmother always baked gingerbread cookies during the holiday season.
I would walk into her kitchen and see stacks and stacks of un-decorated gingerbread cookies on her counter. Then we’d all gather up with our bowls full of icing and sprinkles and such – snack time and arts-and-crafts time all in one.
These scrumptious Gingerbread Mickey Cookies are every bit as delicious as Grandma’s cookies. They are moist and fluffy in the middle, like good homemade gingerbread cookies should be. And they look fantastic – without all the mess.
The recipe starts with butter and brown sugar. There’s no need for white sugar, because you’ll be adding plenty of sweetness later in the recipe (think: molasses).
I always start with my butter fully softened for this recipe. This helps make the final dough less crumbly and much easier to work with.
Some people think gingerbread cookies are the same thing as molasses cookies.
While they are similar, gingerbread cookies have a unique ginger-and-spice flavor above and beyond the flavor of the molasses. If you haven’t worked with molasses before, be warned: it has a strong smell. But fear not! The smell is really nothing like the flavor. Don’t skip the molasses just because it smells strongly.
And speaking of smells, can we talk about how good these cookies smell in the oven? Prepare for the vultures… erhm, I mean, children… to swarm the kitchen. “What’s in the oven?” “Are those for us?” “When will they be ready?” There’s not many recipes, even for cookies, that smell quite as good as gingerbread cookies baking.
Once your dough is all mixed up, you might think it’s a little crumbly. Don’t worry about it. It will all come together beautifully when you start working with it.
There a few ways to handle the stickiness of the dough. The easiest way is just to stick the dough in the fridge for a couple of hours (1-2) and let it chill. Another method is to let the dough set and come to room temperature before working with it. Then, use plenty of flour, dusting both sides as you’re rolling it out to your desired thickness.
In order to avoid cookies that are thin and brittle, don’t roll the dough out too thin. One inch is the perfect thickness to get those soft, fluffy cookies that we all love. This dough is forgiving, and can be kneaded and re-rolled and kneaded again multiple times to get to its ideal thickness.
Because that melted chocolate dip is so important to the final taste of the cookies, I only use Ghirardelli for this recipe. It is the best chocolate for baking – and in general. While you could use a microwave to melt in a pinch, a double boiler really is best for melting chocolate in this quantity.
Don’t feel the need to use all your dough now. This recipe keeps well in the fridge. That means you can store half the recipe for later, or make the dough a day ahead!
If you are thinking of going store-bought this gingerbread season…. don’t. Compared to this recipe, store-bought cookies taste like actual cardboard. Instead, bring the fun of Disney into your home with these wonderful Gingerbread Mickey Cookies.
Even picky eaters – the crazy people who don’t love gingerbread cookies – will be delighted by this simple, elegant, scrumptious cookie recipe.
Recipe Notes:
Mixer – I really recommend using a standing mixer for this recipe. The dough gets fairly dense, making hand-mixing almost impossible. Plus, with gingerbread cookies it is important to get a smooth, creamy mixture after each added ingredient. You’ll work your arm off trying to mix by hand! Be careful about doubling the recipe unless you have a really good mixture.
More Christmas Recipes!
Soft Batch Christmas M&M cookies – Soft, chewy, fluffy cookies sure to be a favorite in any holiday event!
Yugoslavian Christmas Cookies – Crunchy nut and meringue topping over the berry shortbread crust an absolutely divine combination!
Candy Cane Cookies -Peppermint or almond flavored sugar cookie dough, twisted into these charming cookies!
Christmas Crack – Buttery toffee with a light, crispy crust, coated in rich chocolate and toasted pecans may just be the most addictive snack ever!
No Roll Sugar Cookies -Tender, delicate, and just a bit lighter!
Peppermint Candy Cane Kisses – tender and delicate with just the right amount of peppermint flavor!
The post Gingerbread Mickey Cookies appeared first on Gonna Want Seconds.