Description
Classic gingerbread cookies get a zesty upgrade with tangy lemon frosting. Warm spices and citrusy sweetness combine into an irresistible holiday treat that will delight guests and spark festive memories.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Dry Ingredients:
- 2–½ cups confectioners’ sugar
Dairy and Flavor Enhancers:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350°F (175°C), preparing a clean baking workspace.
- In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly blend softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture becomes airy and pale, approximately 5-7 minutes using an electric mixer.
- Incorporate eggs and molasses into the butter mixture, mixing until completely combined and uniform in texture.
- In a separate bowl, meticulously whisk together all dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, ground ginger, baking soda, ground allspice, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt.
- Gradually integrate the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until a smooth, cohesive cookie dough forms.
- Gently roll the dough into uniform 1-inch (2.54 centimeters) spheres, positioning them approximately 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, watching for characteristic surface cracking.
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes to stabilize.
- Transfer cookies to wire cooling racks, permitting them to cool completely to room temperature.
- For the lemon frosting, whip cream cheese in a clean bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add confectioners’ sugar, fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, blending until the frosting reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Generously frost each cooled cookie with the lemon cream cheese mixture.
- Store frosted cookies in an airtight container within the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Elevate your holiday baking with these spice-packed gingerbread cookies that burst with warming, aromatic flavors.
- Creaming butter and sugar thoroughly creates a light, tender texture that makes these cookies melt in your mouth.
- Ground spices like ginger, allspice, cardamom, and cinnamon deliver a complex, rich taste profile that transforms ordinary cookies.
- Rolling dough into uniform 1-inch balls ensures even baking and consistent cookie sizes for professional-looking results.
- Tangy lemon frosting adds a bright, zesty counterpoint to the deep, warm gingerbread base, creating a perfectly balanced sweet treat.
- Store cookies in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and preserve the delicate cream cheese frosting’s smooth consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 85 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 25 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg