Lovely Indeed

What’s up cookie lovers?! Raise your hand if you remember our Elf Quote Cookies from a couple years back. That little project was all thanks to some of my favorite bloggers creating the #ChristmasCookieSquad, which was a big blog hop where we each made and shared a cookie recipe on the same day. Well guess what, friends — it’s back!!! And today all of your cookie dreams come true. We’re kicking it off with these mini gingerbread alphabet cookies. They remind me of some of my favorite Trader Joe’s cookies, but tinier and colorful! And the recipe for this dough is perfect for cookie decorating, because the gingerbread doesn’t spread or balloon out as it bakes. Perfect shape, every time!

Mini Gingerbread Alphabet Cookies

Ingredients

DOUGH:

• 3 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3/4 c light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c unsulphured molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp milk

ICING

• 1 c powdered sugar
• 1 egg white

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Thoroughly mix flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl and set aside.

Step 2: Cream butter and brown sugar just until combined. Add in egg, molasses, and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated.

Step 3: Add dry mixture little by little until dry and wet mixture is combined. Mix thoroughly until your dough forms. It will be somewhat crumbly, but you should be able to grab a handful and form it into a ball that will hold. If it needs a bit more moisture, add 1 tsp milk.

Step 4: Lightly flour a silpat mat (or some parchment paper) and your rolling pin, and roll out the gingerbread dough to about 1/4″ thick. Cut out letters with these tiny alphabet cookie cutters. If you want something larger, these are a good option.

Step 5: Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. While baking, mix your icing. Whisk together sugar and egg white until thoroughly combined. Add color if desired; we used these neon food colors.

Step 6: Ice your cookies! We used pastry bags and icing tips. But you can just as easily use a simple applicator like a popsicle stick by dipping it in the icing and applying it to the cookies. You could even place the icing in a zip-loc baggie, cut a tiny tip off the corner, and pipe it on that way.

I have to say, I had so much fun making these! And they’re so teeny tiny that you don’t have to feel bad about having a couple…. or a handful. 😉 Be sure you check out the rest of what the #ChristmasCookieSquad is baking up! xoxo

Latte Joy Espresso Cookies from Julie Blanner
Fudge Dipped Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies from The Sweetest Occasion
Classic Frosted Cutout Sugar Cookies from Freutcake
Gingerbread Eggnog Cookie Sandwiches from Paper & Stitch
Christmas Sprinkle Cookie Cups from Inspired by Charm
Iced Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies from Pizzazzerie
Chocolate Linzer Cookies from The Effortless Chic
Mac Hack: Decorating Store-Bought Macarons for the Holidays from Proper
Holiday Wreath Merengue Macarons from Sugar & Cloth