Yield: 3 - 4 dozen depending on thickness, sizes, and shapes

Fudgy Chocolate Gingerbread Halloween Cookies / #Choctoberfest 2017

Fudgy Chocolate Gingerbread Halloween Cookies / #Choctoberfest 2017

Ingredients

For Cookies:

  • 1/3 cup hot water
  • 1 tsp. whole cloves
  • 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
  • 3/4 cup Imperial Sugar (regular white granulated sugar)
  • 1/2 cup Imperial Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 extra-large egg
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup regular or dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 1 Tbl. cinnamon
  • 4 more cups flour

For Decorating Glaze:

  • 1 cup Imperial Powdered Sugar (scoop and level off with knife to measure)
  • 1 Tbl. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tbl. soft butter
  • 1/2 tsp. clear vanilla, optional

Instructions

  • For Cookies:
  • Place cloves in hot water, set aside.
  • In large mixer bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add vanilla and egg, and beat. Add molasses and beat again. Remove cloves from water and discard cloves. Add clove water and beat. Mixture will look “curdled”.
  • Add rest of ingredients except the last 4 cups of flour and beat well. Gradually beat in last 4 cups of flour.
  • Scrape dough out of bowl and mound onto a piece of plastic wrap forming into a disk. Wrap tightly and chill.
  • When chilled, roll out to a 1/3″ thickness or a bit less, on well-floured surface, (flouring rolling pin, too.) And keep flouring rolling pin as needed. Cut into shapes and place onto ungreased baking sheets. Decorate with raisins if desired or bake plain to decorate after baking.
  • Bake in 375º F oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove carefully to wire racks to cool. Decorate with Glaze.
  • To Make Glaze:
  • In small bowl, whisk glaze ingredients until creamy. Spoon into a baggie into one corner, twist top closed, snip a tiny piece off of a corner and pipe on glaze. *To measure the powdered sugar I just scooped and leveled with my finger. I didn’t spoon it in or pre-sift. (*You can also use a pastry bag and very small round tip to decorate if preferred.)
  • Pipe on design, and set cookies aside to let the glaze harden. *Cookies may not be stackable later depending on the humidity which can prevent glaze from hardening fully.
  • To keep cookies soft, store in airtight container on the counter. Will also keep well in the refrigerator, too.

    • Notes

    *This recipe can easily be halved. To use half an egg, crack egg into a bowl, beat well, then use just half of it. (Use leftover beaten egg for breakfast!)
    **Or, you can make a full batch, divide the dough in half, place a mound on a sheet of plastic wrap and press and shape it into a disk for easy rolling later, wrap it well, place it into a freezer bag, and freeze it for a later use such as Christmas!