CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Murt’s Man Bait-The Chewiest Gingerbread Cookies

First off-Happy Holidays to everyone and their families from Me and everyone at Branded Sports!

I wanted to do a Man Bait on Christmas because cooking and baking is such a big part of the holidays and since I was planning on making my recipe anyway, I said why not take the pictures as I go and give you all a nice play by play to bake along with me!

There is nothing I love more than baking Christmas cookies this time of year. I love that there are so many different kinds to make… sugar, Italian, lemon, jelly, the list goes on. BUT, nothing screams CHRISTMAS like Gingerbread cookies. The smell of gingerbread just gets you in the Holiday spirit. I have made the hard and crunchy gingerbread men that you can decorate and yes that’s fun, but what I really wanted this year was a chewy, sugary and delicious gingerbread cookie that would pair well with that after dinner cocktail when you’re just about ready to hit the sack after a long day with family! With that being said, I have got the perfect recipe for you!

Recipe: The Chewiest Gingerbread Cookies

Pair with: Spiked Eggnog (obviously)

Ingredients: (makes 25-30 cookies)

-1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

-1/4 cup granulated white sugar

-1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

-1/4 cup molasses (I use “Grandmas” brand)

-1 large egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-2 teaspoons baking soda

-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-2 teaspoons ground ginger

-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

-1/8 teaspoon black pepper

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-2 cups flour

-Extra white sugar (for rolling dough in)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl using a standing mixer or hand held mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add in the molasses, egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

3. Add in baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and pepper until just combined.

4. Add in the flour 1/2 cup at a time until combined, scraping the side of bowl as needed.

5. Put plastic wrap over bowl and let dough chill in fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

6. After you take the dough out of the fridge, roll them into about 1 inch balls and roll them into the white sugar. Place the sugary dough balls on an un-greased cookie sheet about 1.5 inches apart.

7. Bake for 7-9 minutes. (Check for when the cookies just begin to crack-you do not want to over bake or they won’t be chewy-don’t worry I will post pictures for reference).

8. Let cookies sit for about 2 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.

9. Serve immediately or store in air tight container until ready to serve!

ENJOY and Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🏽🎁