The genius trick of making chubby gingerbread cookies without using a cookie cutter or mold

Let’s make cheeky gingerbread cookies this holiday season with Kat Lieu

dear friend,

Tired of the same old gingerbread cookies every holiday season? Then you’ve got to try my cheeky gingerbread cookie recipe! I gave them extra pops of heat thanks to adding freshly grated ginger and a dollop of gochujang, that delicious umami-rich Korean condiment made with fermented soybeans and Korean chiles. The heat, I must warn you, comes on quickly at the end, and will make you smack your lips!

These cookies are also thick and chubby, thanks to omitting baking soda (which makes cookies spread and crisp) and adding baking powder, which helps them rise. This dough also does not require chilling or resting, and I find it quite shapeable and easy to mold.

If you don’t have a cookie cutter or mold, this gingerbread cookie recipe is also perfect for you. I really delighted my inner child by giving these gingerbread cookies beautiful assets and decorations, making them quite cheeky in a literal sense.

So go on, dear friend, have a little fun with this dough, shape your wildest holiday dreams, and bake a batch that’ll make everyone grin. Gingerbread has never been this cute… or this spicy.

xoxoxo,

Kat Lieu

PS: Use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 replace flour in place of all purpose to make these gluten-free. Adjust by adding in more liquid, like a splash of milk, so the dough isn’t too crumbly or dry.

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108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen

By Lieu, Kat

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These gingerbread cookies are so fun to decorate and mold with bare hands

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Author Kat Lieu

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

26 Min

Total time

56 Min

Print

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Kat Lieu's easy gingerbread cookie recipe without using a cookie cutter or mold

If you don't have cookie cutters or molds, this gingerbread cookie recipe is perfect for you. They are so fun to make and decorate, especially during winter break with children!

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Ingredients

For the gingerbread cookies

• 1½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (not soda)
• ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon brown or red miso (white is OKAY too)
• 1 teaspoon gochujang for added heat (optional)
• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup (60g) unsulphered molasses

For the frosting

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• A few teaspoons milk, eggnog, or cream, or melted butter

For decorating

• Sprinkles or candies, as needed

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. Whisk the flour, pumpkin spice, grated ginger, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl and set aside for now.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, miso, and gochujang, if using, together until light and fluffy. Add in the molasses and mix until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until no dry flour spots remain and a cookie dough forms. Don't overmix.
5. Portion and shape the dough into different-sized balls: about one tablespoon portions for the body, one teaspoon portions for the head, and smaller portions for the other body parts.
6. When assembling the cookies, make sure each body part touches, so squish them together, gently as needed. As they barely spread in the oven, you just need to space them about 1/2 to 1 inch apart.
7. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time (the other sheet can chill in the refrigerator), until puffy and set, with browned edges and bottoms, about 13 minutes.
8. Set the baking sheet on top of the wire rack for the cookies to set and cool. They will be soft out of the oven.
9. Make the frosting by mixing the confectioners' sugar with milk or eggnog, a teaspoon at a time, until you have a thick, pipeable frosting.
10. Use the frosting to decorate your gingerbread men, and as edible glue to glue on sprinkles and candies.

Notes

If you don't have pumpkin spice, use a mixture of spices: 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom. Five spice powder and allspice can also go into the mix.

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