Servings: 3 dozen serving(s)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
PrintA classic holiday cut-out cookie with a wholesome whole wheat twist. The perfect cookie for baking and decorating with kids.
My mom has an amazing collection of cookie cutters, both old and new. Most are from long before I was born, some had been my grandmothers, and a few are newer designs that I bought her as gifts.
I always loved the cookie cutter drawer in our kitchen. I associated it with the best holidays of the year, since that’s the only time the cookie cutters came out.
My earliest baking memories are of making Christmas cut-out cookies that we’d then paint with tinted frosting and hang on the tree. We’d nibble away at them over Christmas and finish them off only when the tree came down. By then they were hard, a little stale, and in my memory, delicious.
The tradition has continued with my kids, although the cookies hardly last long enough to even be hung on the tree. Plus we have a big dog.
This gingerbread cookie recipe came with a moose-shaped cookie cutter I bought in Maine sometime in the early 1990’s. It was from the Purple Puma Cookie Company. Not sure if they’re still in the business of packaging cookie cutters with recipe cards and spice packets but I was a sucker for their designs.
The recipe didn’t include spices (because they came in a packet) so the spice blend is my own.
Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned in
- 1 cup whole wheat flour*, spooned in
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp each, nutmeg, cloves
* This recipe lends itself well to stone ground flour which is more nutritious and flavourful.
Instructions:
- In a large bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy.
- Beat in egg and molasses.
- Add lemon juice.
- Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add to creamed mixture.
- When flour mixture is fully incorporated gather dough into a ball, cut in half and pat into two disks.
- Chill for one hour.
To bake:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼” thick and cut into shapes.
- Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Simple icing:
- 2 Tbsp. soft butter
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. milk or cream
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
In a medium bowl mash the butter and add about half of the icing sugar. Mash them together for a bit then add 1 Tbsp. of milk and the vanilla. Mix well then add remaining icing sugar and more milk as needed. This icing should be a little runny for easy decorating.
Mix dough until blended well: 
Pat into two disks and chill:
I like to roll mine fairly thin (1/4 inch) so they hold their shape well.
To decorate, make a simple frosting of icing sugar and milk:
Start with 1 cup icing sugar and 1 Tbsp of milk. Mix well and add more icing sugar (or milk) as required to get a spreadable consistency.
One more thing…
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A yummy recipe it brings back such happy memories.
Thanks Mom!
> These remind me of your house at Christmas time Nancy, can’t wait to mix these up and get my babies home from school to decorate.. Yummy!!
xoxox
Cindy
Hi Cindy, Isn’t it fun how food can bring back so many memories!
is whole wheat four a typo error??
Hi there, No typo, I have always added whole wheat flour (that’s what the original recipe called for).
whole wheat four is that a typo error?
Hi – the recipe actually has two types of flour, whole wheat and all purpose. Feel free to use all regular flour if you prefer. Thanks for flagging a typo in the flour quantity though. I have corrected it.
Thanks Bridget, I always look forward to your recipes and instructions. I am a better cook for it. Happy Holidays!
Wow, thanks for the compliment. Happy Holidays to you too!
Can you use margarine in place of butter for these cookies, or the shortbread ones? Thx
Hi Tanya, yes, you can use margarine in place of butter for the gingerbread cookies. You could use it in the shortbread cookies too. The taste will be a bit different but they’ll still turn out. Enjoy!
what are the silver balls?
Hi there – the silver balls are little candies. Look for them in the baking section of grocery stores.
thanks ! merry christmas !!
>
Are the gingerbread men soft ones or crispy ones?
Hi Valerie — They’re just a little crispy if you roll them thinly (bit not crispy like a gingersnap). But if you keep them thick they’ll be soft.
Hi Bridget. Just wondering if you have a recipe (I’m sure you do) for crunchy ginger snaps? Can’t seem to lay my hands on one at the time and my Mom made these quite often when we were kids. Great with a glass of cold milk or cup of hot tea. Thanks Bridget. Keep up the great work. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Hi Jane, I sure do have a great recipe for crunchy gingersnaps: http://www.crosbys.com/gingersnaps/ This recipe is extra convenient because it’s an “ice box cookie” — leave the logs in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use them. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas to you and yours, too.