Easy Gingerbread Cookies are thick, soft, and perfectly maintain their adorable shape. This dough is a dream to work with and the cookies can be made ahead of time! Easy cookie icing included.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and beat until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Shape the dough into a thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Remove the dough from refrigerator and let stand until just warm enough to roll with ease. Place the chilled dough in between two large pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a work surface. Roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the dough and place on prepared baking sheets, spreading at least a 1/2-inch apart. Reroll remaining scraps of dough into 1/4-inch thickness and cut out more shapes.
If at any point the dough becomes too warm to hold its shape, return to the fridge (or freezer) until firm again.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and begin to brown slightly at the edges, rotating sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 3 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Make the icing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients until a thick and smooth icing forms. Add more milk if the icing is too thick, or more sugar if it’s too thin.
Transfer the icing to a piping bag, ziptop bag with a small hole cut in the corner, or to a squeeze bottle. Decorate the cookies with the icing. Allow to set before serving or storing.