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My Annual Christmas Cookie List: Gingerbread Deer

Gingerbread Deer Cookie Recipe From the Family with Love

Every year since I was a little girl my mom and I would write out our Christmas Cookie list.  I swear I get more excited writing my cookie list than I do my Christmas gift wish list!  Our list always has our traditional go to cookies: spritz, pecan tassies, frosted sugar cookies, Grandma’s pinwheels.  But a few years back (actually I think it was a lot more than a few years!) I received a Martha Stewart magazine with the most beautiful Gingerbread snowflake cookies! Well I just had to make them and the gingerbread was a hit! Fast forward a bunch of years to Pinterest where I spotted the most adorable Gingerbread Deer cookies! 

My inspiration for decorating my gingerbread came from Berry Lovely. But I had to use my go to gingerbread recipe from Martha Stewart! It was definitely not easy to find a deer cookie cutter but I finally found EXACTLY what I was looking for at Copper Gifts.  The cookie cutter is more than I have ever spent for a cookie cutter but I do love how they are made right here in the USA.  And I know it is a cookie cutter that will last for many Christmases to come.

Gingerbread Deer Cookie Recipe From the Family with Love

So if my husband were writing about cookies he definitely would not have spent the last 2 paragraphs talking about the cuteness of the cookie! He would be getting right to how they taste! Well let me tell you, these gingerbread cookies are divine…crunch and spicy, with just the perfect amount of ginger and sweetness.  I’m usually not a royal icing fan but for the dainty details (here I go again talking about the way these cookies look) royal icing really is the perfect frosting.

Gingerbread Deer Cookie Recipe From the Family with Love

Martha Stewart’s recipe makes a ton of cookies so I always half the recipe. The recipe below has the measurements I use.  Also this is the Royal Icing recipe I used but the one on can of Wilton Meringue Powder works great too!

 

Gingerbread Deer Cookies
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  2. 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  3. 1 egg
  4. 1/2 cup molasses
  5. 2 tsp ground ginger
  6. 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  7. 3/4 tsp ground cloves
  8. 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  9. 3 cups flour
  10. 1/2 tsp baking soda
  11. 1/4 tsp baking powder
  12. 3/4 tsp salt
  13. Royal Icing
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Add the spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper) and mix.
  2. Slowly add the flour, baking soda, powder & salt and mix until just combined. Don't over mix.
  3. Divide the dough in half and pat into a round. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
  4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. On a floured surface roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut out with cookie cutter and place 2" apart on parchment lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate unbaked cutouts for about 10-15 minutes before baking.
  5. Bake for about 9-12 minutes. You want the edges to start browning but don't over bake.
  6. Frost as desired with royal icing. I used a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton #4 round tip. Let the royal icing dry completely before storing. These freeze great for up to 3 months!
Notes
  1. The 1/4" thickness may seem thick for cut outs but it is key to making sure the cookies keep their shape and also have the perfect crunch & chew!
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Adapted from Martha Stewart
From The Family https://www.fromthefamilywithlove.com/

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With Love & Happy Baking, Jennifer

P.S. It has been a crazy busy week so I’m a bit behind with our Meeting at the Manger series.  But I have Day #4 just about complete so will be back sometime Tuesday evening with that post! 

This post contains some affiliated links. However, I have not been paid to test this product nor was I given this product as a sample. I purchased this product for my own personal use and plan on giving honest feedback (whether good, bad or ugly) on the product(s) mentioned.

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Comments

  5. What gorgeous cookies – no wonder you were going on about how cute they are! I do love gingerbread – these really are perfect for Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing them with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop, Jennifer. Sharing!

  9. I love your little Gingerbread Deer. Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday and have a great day.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

  11. These are absolutely darling! Thanks so much for stopping by to share them at my Creative Ways Link Party last week! Have a wonderful Christmas!
    Blessings,
    Nici

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