Awesome Gingerbread Bears
Submitted by rebabecky
Gingerbread bears: classic rolled and cut gingerbread cookies with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, molasses, and a lemon zest brightener. Chill the dough, roll thin, decorate as bears for the holidays.
YIELD
68 servingsPREP
2 hrsCOOK
10 minREADY
2½ hrsThese are classic rolled gingerbread cookies cut into bear shapes rather than the more familiar gingerbread men. The dough itself is the standard winter spice cookie: butter, sugar, egg, molasses, and a mix of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. What sets this version apart is the teaspoon of lemon zest stirred in with the molasses, which adds a quiet citrus brightness that lifts the heavy spice profile.
The long chill matters (two hours minimum, overnight is better). Cold dough rolls thinner without sticking, holds the bear-cutter outlines sharply, and bakes flat instead of puffing. If you skip the chill or shortcut it, the bears spread into vague blobs and you lose the shape.
Divide the dough into four pieces before chilling. That way you can work with one piece at a time while the rest stays cold, which keeps the dough from softening on the counter and losing definition.
Roll to one-eighth inch. Bake just 7 to 10 minutes; pull them when the edges are barely browned and the centers are set. Overbaked gingerbread is hard and bitter.
Decorate with royal icing once cool.
Pro Tips
- Use unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap) for the most balanced flavor; blackstrap is too bitter for cookies.
- Roll the dough between sheets of parchment to skip the floured surface and avoid working extra flour into the dough.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for the most even browning.
- Cool completely before decorating; warm cookies melt royal icing.
Variations
- Cut with any cookie cutter shapes you have; the dough is not bear-specific.
- Sprinkle with sanding sugar before baking for a quick sparkle finish without decorating.
- Add a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg or allspice for a more complex spice profile.
Ingredients
Directions
Measure 3½ cups flour; sift together with spices, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and mix on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg and mix well. Stop the mixer and add molasses and lemon rind. Mix on low speed to combine. Stir in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.
Divide dough into four parts. Wrap each one separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 375℉ (190℃). Lightly grease baking sheets.
Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator at a time. Roll the well-chilled dough on a floured board or between sheets of waxed paper to a ⅛ inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-inch between each cookie.
Bake just until the cookies are lightly browned and set, 7 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer from baking sheets to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating.
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