Description
Irresistible gingerbread cookie bites blend warm holiday spices with sweet molasses charm. Crisp edges and chewy centers make these miniature treats perfect for festive gatherings and seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar (for coating)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat to ensure smooth cookie release and even baking.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly to distribute spices evenly and create a fragrant base.
- Wet Ingredient Transformation: Cream butter with granulated and brown sugars until fluffy, then blend in egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes smooth and homogeneous.
- Dough Formation: Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until a consistent dough forms without visible flour streaks, then roll into small spherical bites and coat with granulated sugar.
- Baking Performance: Position sugar-dusted dough balls on the prepared sheet, spacing them two inches apart, and bake for 8-10 minutes until edges set and surface develops subtle cracks.
- Cooling Protocol: Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for five minutes to stabilize, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling and texture refinement.
Notes
- Manage Moisture Perfectly: Keep dough chilled for 30 minutes before shaping to prevent spreading and maintain compact cookie structure during baking.
- Spice Balance Technique: Adjust spice intensity by freshly grinding whole spices, which enhances aroma and provides deeper, more complex flavor profile compared to pre-ground spices.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, adding xanthan gum for improved texture and preventing crumbling in alternative diet versions.
- Precise Baking Timing: Remove cookies when edges are set but centers appear slightly soft, as they’ll continue firming while cooling, ensuring consistently tender and moist gingerbread bites.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg