Fine-crumb gingerbread-spiced butter cookies, pressed into small rounds with simple fork markings.
Confectioners sugar and restrained mixing give these pressed rounds a delicate butter-cookie crumb. The dough is chilled before shaping and baked with gentle heat until the edges are pale golden. Serve plain to keep the spice flavor and fork pattern visible.
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Gingerbread Butter Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 15–18 minutes · 2 trays of 16 two-inch cookies
Allow 146 minutes: 30 hands-on, 60 chilling, 36 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Electric mixer and bowl
- US measures and scale
- Parchment and two 13 × 18-inch pans
- Flat-bottomed glass and fork
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Scale ingredients and US equivalents. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time.
Instructions
Cream gently
- Beat softened butter, confectioners sugar, salt, vanilla and spices until smooth, without extended fluffy creaming. Mix in flour on low just until a cohesive dough forms.
Firm the butter
- Cover and refrigerate 1 hour until firm but workable. No chemical leavener or egg is used.
Press small rounds
- Heat to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Divide into 32 portions about 21 g each. Round, then press to 2-inch disks about 1/4 inch thick on lined pans, 1 inch apart. Mark lightly with a fork.
Check for pale golden edges
- Bake 15–18 minutes until edges are pale golden and tops are set. Butter cookies should not become deeply brown.
Let the crumb strengthen
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then cool 15 minutes on a rack. Serve plain; the crumb is delicate and buttery rather than chewy molasses gingerbread.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Avoid overcreaming
Too much incorporated air causes excessive puffing and distortion.
Use soft rather than melted butter
A smooth solid butter mixture gives a more controllable dough.
Stop at pale gold
Butter cookies continue to firm while cooling and can taste dry if deeply browned.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 1 week | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze portions airtight; thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- These are gingerbread-spiced butter cookies with no molasses, egg or leavener. Confectioners sugar produces a fine crumb. The restrained creaming and full chill keep the pressed rounds compact.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there molasses in these butter cookies?
No. Ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves supply the gingerbread spice profile.
Can I pipe this dough through a star tip?
It is designed for pressed rounds, not a soft piping or spritz dough.
Why do warm cookies crumble?
The buttery crumb is fragile until cool. Keep the pan rest and rack cooling.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
