These are so easy to make too. I prefer to make my gingerbread cookie dough from scratch because I like my cookies puffed up and chewy, not flat and dry. Feel free to use store-bough dough if you want to get straight to the hugging...
Oh, and you can easily double and triple this recipe to serve a crowd!
Note: You can make the cookie dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to cut and bake.
Kiss-Hugging Gingerbread People
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until blended (or use a fork). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, egg, molasses, and vanilla.
Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Dough will be sticky, don't worry.
Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap.
Wrap the dough with the plastic, shape into a disc and refrigerate 1 hour (and up to 3 days).
Generously cover your work surface with flour, and roll out the dough (sprinkle flour on top too, so the rolling pin doesn't stick). Roll out until the dough is about 1/4-inch thick, or slightly thicker for chewier cookies (that's what I do, somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick).
Use a cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread people shapes. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place a chocolate "kiss" on the center of each cookie and pull up the arms to "hug" the kiss.
Gently brush off excess flour.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until just golden.
Cool on wire racks before decorating with icing!
Makes about 16-20 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
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