How Not to Mess Up Cookies: The Best Gingerbread Cookies

The BEST gingerbread cookies are chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges 🥰 Pastry chef Ben Hardy has all the secrets so you WON'T mess them up! Get the recipe ▶https://foodtv.com/3ItkwDC Subscribe to Food Network ▶ http://foodtv.com/YouTube Welcome to Food Network, where learning to cook is as simple as clicking play! Grab your apron and get ready to get cookin' with some of the best chefs around the world. We'll give you a behind-the-scenes look at our best shows, take you inside our favorite restaurant and be your resource in the kitchen to make sure every meal is a 10/10! The Best Gingerbread Cookies Level: Easy Total: 3 hr (includes chilling time) Active: 1 hr Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies Ingredients Cookies: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook's Note) 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon fine salt 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, melted 2/3 cup light brown sugar 3/4 cup molasses 1 large egg Royal Icing: 1 pound confectioners' sugar (3 1/2 cups) 2 tablespoons meringue powder Food coloring, if desired Directions For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves in a large bowl. Mix the butter, shortening, brown sugar and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in the egg. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in four additions, making sure each batch is completely incorporated before adding the next. Divide the dough in half, wrap each piece in plastic and pat to 1/2-inch thick. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough to 1/4-inch thick, dusting with flour if needed. Cut into 3- to 5-inch cookies with a gingerbread man cutter or desired shape. Brush off the excess flour and refrigerate on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Bake the cookies in batches until they are golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. For the royal icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar with the meringue powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat in 6 tablespoons of water until well combined and you have stiff glossy peaks, adding 1 tablespoon more water at a time to reach a smooth pipeable consistency. Mix in food coloring as desired. Fill pastry bags fitted with tips. Decorate the gingerbread cookies with the icing. Cook’s Note  When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)  Subscribe to our channel to fill up on the latest must-eat recipes, brilliant kitchen hacks and content from your favorite Food Network shows. ▶ FOOD NETWORK KITCHEN APP: http://foodtv.com/FNKApp ▶ WEBSITE: https://www.foodnetwork.com ▶ FULL EPISODES: https://watch.foodnetwork.com ▶ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FoodNetwork ▶ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/FoodNetwork ▶ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FoodNetwork #HowNotToMessUpCookies #Gingerbread #BenHardy #FoodNetwork How Not to Mess Up Cookies: The Best Gingerbread Cookies ​| Food Network https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2NS8oVUY0&feature=youtu.be