it’s only december 11th and i have a christmas cookie hangover. like that perma full, i better have tea instead of coffee because i can’t even handle cream kinda cookie hangover. last night i was up until midnight making brown butter chocolate chip, nutella stuffed cookies (I KNOW) for a baking exchange at my house tonight. we’re only exchanging half dozens because me and 7 dozens of cookies could get a little cray…

on saturday two of my lovely sisters came over for a baking session. the recipe claimed it would only make 16 cookies per batch. we decided to triple it and but we ended up with 90 cookies instead of the 48 cookies promised. thankfully we all have husbands with major sweet tooths.

funny story about this recipe…because we tripled the recipe, there was no way the whole thing could fit into my kitchen aid. we halved the molasses mixture and then added half the flour…or so we thought… we ended up with two different cookies. the first batch had the extra molasses, so very flat and molassesey and chewy and extremely delicious.

i was a bit weary of the second batch, but upon tasting i realized it was an ok mistake. the second batch was just as delicious, a little less soft but spicier tasting more like a fall cookie than a gingerbread.

two cookies for the price of one…boooyah.

both were smothered in white chocolate cream cheese icing which fyi, will cover a multitude of baking mistakes…

gingerbread cookies with cream cheese icing
makes two dozen cookies

ingredients needed:
cookies:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3⁄4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup cookie molasses
icing:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp unsalted butter, (room temperature)
3 oz white chocolate, chopped and melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups icing sugar
directions:

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. add in the egg and vanilla extract. mix until well combined. add in the molasses and mix until combined.
4. with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. mix until flour disappears.
5. form the dough into tablespoon sized balls. place the cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
6. bake for 10-12 minutes. allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
7. melt the white chocolate in the microwave or a double broiler. if using a microwave, add a splash of milk and only melt for 30 seconds at a time, pausing to stir in between.
8. in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth. next add the melted white chocolate and vanilla extract. beat until it’s smooth. reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar until smooth.
9. frost the cookies with frosting and then devour!
slightly adapted from two peas and their pod