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These are NOT the best decorated gingerbread men you’ve ever seen but it’s the best gingerbread man recipe I’ve ever used. I made these in under an hour – and that includes the decoration. I know, you’ll read the recipe that says chill for a minimum of an hour. I didn’t have an hour so they are a bit less than perfect.
It didn’t matter. They taste fantastic!
We were headed over to the nursing home so the olds could skype their great grandson Sam (just turned 1) before he heads to England to meet his other grandparents for the first time. We got John’s mother and brought her to Rob’s room so we could all be on camera together.
I wanted to bring something to enjoy over coffee once the phone call was over and I tried to think of what I could make that would mean something to old folks. When I thought of gingerbread men it was obvious. Even with dementia, Joan knew what they were. She ate two without blinking an eye.
As we were talking and getting Charlie to do tricks, John’s mother got up and started to take her pants off. Then she said, “You come in the corner with me, they’ve seen me naked when I looked good.”
My eyes got a bit wide and I looked at John for help. Useless. He wanted to melt into the floor. Rob just laughed.
She needed me to see how fat her bum was and to let me know that she’s never had a fat bum before. What do you say to that??
“You need to do some butt exercises, Joan,” I said without laughing out loud and that wasn’t easy.
I pulled up her pants and looked over at the dog. I swear he was doing this.
Phbbbbt!!!!
These gingerbread men are really easy to make and would be good for kids to help. You beat the butter and brown sugar, then add the egg, then the vanilla and molasses. In another bowl you whisk the dry ingredients and then slowly add them to the wet. The dough comes together brilliantly. Divide, wrap and chill.
I floured a large silicone mat, rolled the dough and cut them out. In 7 minutes at 190C/375F you’ve got gingerbread men!
I made Wilton royal icing that’s just 3 tablespoons of meringue powder, 4 cups powdered sugar and 5 tablespoons warm water. Mix and whip, whip, whip until glossy.
If you’ve got kids of any age at all, they’ll love these cookies. One of Rob’s carers came in to check on him and left with one cookie and 30 seconds later knocked on the door and asked for another. They’re that good.
- 85 grams / 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups plain/all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pre-heat oven to 190C/375F. Line baking sheets with baking paper/parchment paper.
- In a mixer bowl, add the butter and brown sugar and beat to combine. Add the egg and beat until mixed in. Add the molasses and vanilla and beat again until everything is well incorporated.
- In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl until well blended.
- Divide dough in half and wrap each half in cling film and refrigerate for an hour before rolling.
- Place one of the disks of dough on a lightly floured surface. (I used a silicone mat)
- Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.
- Roll dough to about ¼ inch thickness.
- Adding flour to the dough and rolling pin will keep it from sticking..
- Cut out cookies with a gingerbread man cutter.
- Place cookies on the baking sheet about an inch and a half apart.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the longer you cook, the crunchier the cookies are so if you want softer cookies - 7 minutes is enough).
- Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
- When cookies are cool decorate by outlining with royal icing and add eyes, a smile and buttons.
Your gingerbread men look really good..Must be delicious.
Most adorable gingerbread men every!
I’m off to do my butt exercises…
Aw Maureen what funny story! Remember my dad when sometimes come to the living room and said why you are not in bed? And he is only dressed with his pants!
We say is only 5 . Is tea time!
Omy. My mom suffer with it!
These gingerbread men look absolutely cute and Im sure taste delicious!
I always like the littles story you told us! This gingerman looks extra! My kids will eat the whole box 😉
I like that the decoration is sort of not perfect – that’s how you know it’s homemade. Perfection makes me tired 🙂
You make my day, April!
Im agree!
Your gingermen are so cute! I love the simple icing! I could use your butt exercise tips! Please share -haha!!
I love your gingerbread men, especially with a cup of coffee 😉
So cute and cheery and I just want to bite their heads off, YUM!!
I don’t know which is better today — The story or the Gingerbread Cookies. 🙂 Great picture of Charlie too. The best you have ever posted.
Oh, just the perfect treat to have with coffee, Maureen. At least you can still smile when Joan does the unexpected!
Before we got to the naked butt part, I was thinking how Rob and Joan seem to eat so much yet never put on an ounce. But now we all know that everything Joan eats is going straight to her rear! That’s so funny but awkward. Everyone has a time in their life when they look fabulous naked (like the great grandson) and I’m sure Joan’s days of not making others cringe at her nudity are long gone. Your gingerbread men look amazing and I can’t believe you decorated them all so quickly. I’ll have to find out where I can get meringue powder – I’ve never heard of it xx Oh – and that’s the best photo of Charlie ever!
I get my meringue powder where I get my Wilton products. the 3-4-5 is the Wilton royal icing. The one made with egg white and icing sugar works just as well. The Wilton is quite fluffy.
Oh, the stories you tell, Maureen… if I hadn’t met Rob, and Charlie, I’d think you were pulling my leg… but I know better. Love this one… very much LOL! Your gingerbreads look delicious… really, really good!
Aww gawd maureen the antics continue!. You guys are just so good, through the laughter and the pain. Thank fully Charlie is always there lookig good and distracting people. I was just thinking to myself I want to make mini gingerbread men and up you popped with your email! x
These are really, really good. I hope you like them.
Hi Maureen, you sure know how to handle Joan, I would of been speechless. So nice of you to bring these yummy treats to the olds. Happy Holidays!
Cheri, I WAS speechless. My eyes were the size of dinner plates. 🙂
Haha your story was so cute, and despite the butt talk, I am glad everyone enjoyed these delicious cookies!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
lol Maureen, always a good grin with your posts. Thanks for sharing even your hard moments :)) And the gingerbread men look awesome…see you soon xx
Great job, Maureen. These are now on my Xmas baking list – I’ve been looking for a great, tried-and-true recipe!
It’s lovely to be able to laugh for a change at those episodes of dementia, isn’t it? I’m glad she finds pleasure in little things like the taste of gingerbread men.
I’m not sure how your recipe compares to the one I use for gingerbread but I’ll give it a try and make a batch of cookies this year.
these look gorgeous!
I wasn’t sure where that story was going for a minute there! I have some Kung fu ginger men shapes I’ve never used because I didn’t have a recipe they are still in their packaging I’ll have to dig them out.
Where Joan is concerned, the story could go anywhere. 🙂
Maureen ,these are too cute-it would be so much fun making this with my 5 year old . It would be his first. Thanks for sharing
Charlie’s picture is wonderful! And that’s a really funny story — but poor Joan! We’ll all probably be there someday — time to start working on our butt exercises! Gingerbread cookies were my favorite when I was a tad. These look fantastic! They bring back good memories — thanks.
G’day I think your gingerbread men look great from here and can swear I almost smell gingerbread right now!
I’d love to try one, okay two, but three would be my limit with my coffee!
Cheers! Joanne
Oh, you just have to go with the flow…don’t you. My mom has pulled some funny stuff, too…you handled the situation so well. And now to the cookies. We are huge ginger cookie fans (at least the 3 children and I are!) and I’m happy to have a new recipe to try. Nick used to always ask for gingerbread men on top of the chewy ginger cookies I’d make for the holidays. We’ll see how energetic I am this year!
They look adorable! I just baked up a batch today, too. XOXO
I really want to comment on the gingerbread men because they ARE cute and this IS a classic recipe…..but I can’t get past the *story*. I was giggling away reading it and I have a goofy grin on my face writing this comment. I know, I know, it is SO politically incorrect to laugh about someone with dementia…..but I can’t help it, your stories are just so fabulous and I look forward to taking a break in my day with a tea to sit back and read what’s going on in your life. That photo of Charlie…..in stitches when I saw it! And butt exercises….oh golly, there I go again, making myself giggle! This is just too funny!
I want to send you some You Tube videos of butt exercises you can show Joan!
Thank you! She’ll appreciate the exercises. She’ll be 90 soon and can still put her ankles behind her ears. I have flexibility envy. I worry about people who say we shouldn’t laugh at dementia patients. They’d be the first ones to laugh if they were in on the joke. Joan thought she was a scream when she did it and Rob couldn’t stop laughing. Maybe I’m politically incorrect but it’s how I cope. 🙂
I love the way you write…the stories you share and of course everything you make. You are just awesome!
How kind of you to write this. I love you to bits! 🙂 My food isn’t as gorgeous as yours.
God, I was in stitches reading this! Love stories where they are told so well I see it in front of my eyes! Always on the look out for good gingerbread, thanks.
Love these gingerbread men Maureen! I’ve seen some at the shops that don’t look nearly as good! And oh dear Joan! But you know my trainer is trying to give me a round butt. Is that the same as a fat one? Probably! She says that everyone wants one 😛
I’m not sure. Joan wears a size 6 so she’s no bigger than a minute. I want to be 90 and all of a sudden realise I have a saggy butt. 🙂
If I ate a plate of these lovelies, I’d need bum exercises too Maureen- perhaps you’d like to share your tips with the rest of us as well? 🙂 x
I do love my gingerbread recipe but it takes a little while. These look great Maureen. Oh to be a fly on the wall in Joan’s room!
Lordy, you’re brave, Claire. Did I tell you she has a new boyfriend?
Maureen, you need to write a book! And I will be the first to order it, I promise…
It is sad to see loved ones aging and losing part of what they once were, but you face it all with the right attitude. As usual, in awe of what you do for them…
I love gingersnaps and made a cookie yesterday that reminded me of them – should be on the blog in a week, if all goes according to plan, that is… 😉
I like gingerbread men, but can never quite “get” the concept of gingerbread houses – so much stuff in there, and I guess it’s not to be eaten? Just to be looked at? Or am I missing something?
They’re meant to be eaten but it seems like SUCH a lot of work. I haven’t made one either. 🙂
These gingerbread men are so cute! Love them.
Ohhh these are adorable and so beautifully decorated!
Such cute gingerbread, I know the olds loved them. Oh what a funny story, I’m glad you managed to keep a straight face :).
As embarrassing as your experience sounds, Maureen, I think you handled it with aplomb, not many people would be able to do so!
Also, your gingerbread men are absolutely adorable!
These biscuits look gorgeous to me! And there is nothing like a dog to lighten the mood, regardless of what is happening!
These are the cutest gingerbread men and the expression on the dog’s face is priceless. I can imagine how warmly these cookies were received. Thank you for brightening my day with this story 😀
Awww, those are so cute, Maureen. I better get my cookie cutters out and whip some up. 🙂
Hi Charlie!!!! 😀 😀 😀 Awww I’ve missed that beautiful little face. I bet he was licking his lips! These cookies look perfect to me. I’ve been dying to make gingerbread cookies. That’s it setting time aside for tomorrow 🙂
xo
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Gingerbread Men Cookies! Your’s look adorable and what a nice treat for the nurses. I remember how my kids would decapitate the cookies and laugh… sometimes it worried me how they thought it was funny!
I thought there was never a dull moment with kids around. I think the olds top kids! Haha, such a fun story. I know they loved your gingerbread men. I sure would!
Who needs elaborate decorations. As long as they taste good and have the right frosting to cake ratio bring them on 🙂
I have never tried the “international” gingerbread cookies. We are just used to the lebkuchen in my family. This year I thought to change and make American gingerbread, not only because i want to compare, I want to treat my husband well. Thanks for your recipe Maureen.
Your gingerbread look great – and sound so tasty! Love the idea of molasses in this recipe!
These look fantastic Maureen! Such happy ginger bread men, and I’m certain they taste fantastic too. OMG – how cute is the pic of Charlie – well captured, lol. Nice haircut. 🙂
I just love gingerbread men! Nice of you to take them over to visit the olds. Merry Christmas Maureen!