Ginger Creams (Ginger Bread Boys)

These gingerbread cookies bake up soft and cake-like rather than crisp, which is what the “creams” in the name is all about. Molasses and hot coffee give the dough a dark, deeply spiced flavor, while cinnamon, ground ginger, and cloves bring the classic holiday warmth.

The hot coffee mixed with baking soda creates a foamy reaction that aerates the dough. This is what gives the cookies their soft, almost puffy texture after baking, rather than the hard snap of a traditional gingerbread.

Chill the dough thoroughly before rolling. This dough is sticky when warm and impossible to cut cleanly. A few hours in the fridge firms it up so you get sharp gingerbread man shapes that hold their detail.

Chef Tips

• Roll on a well-floured surface and flour your cookie cutters too. This dough grabs onto everything.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them at 12 minutes even if they look soft. They firm up as they cool and overbaking turns them dry.
• Use strong brewed coffee, not weak drip. The coffee flavor bakes out, but its bitterness adds depth to the spice blend.
• Decorate with royal icing once fully cooled for classic gingerbread men.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of nutmeg or allspice for a more complex spice profile.
• Use butter instead of margarine for richer flavor and a slightly crisper edge.
• Cut into round shapes and sandwich two together with cream cheese frosting for gingerbread whoopie pies.