These yummy gingerbread cookies are a fun alternative to gingerbread houses.  Personally, I love them plain, but they're delicious and pretty with piped with royal icing frosting.  They also work perfectly to have the kids use royal icing and decorate with candy!  These cookies are made with the same batter as my gingerbread houses, so if you'd like to make a double batch of dough, I find you can make 4 mini houses from one batch of gingerbread and your second batch of dough will make a pile of cookies for decorating! 

Fresh Gingerbread Cookies!  Yum! 

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies!

Makes ~25 cookies, depending on size

In a mixer, combine with a paddle attachment (not a whisk attachment!): 
2 3/4 c Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

Add and mix in until nicely combined: 

1/2 cup oil

2/3 cup molasses

1 egg

Divide into two and roll each half of batter out between two large pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4" thick (Don't roll these too thin or they'll be hard to cut and lift off the plastic wrap).  Place each oval on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator to chill 30 minutes.  

Two of these sort of dough ovals were chilled. 

While dough is chilling, line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 325 F.   

Cut out a gingerbread shape.  I like to press down and wiggle the cutter around a bit to get nice, clean edges. Use the plastic wrap to help you lift the shape off the plastic wrap.  Carefully transfer to the parchment-lined pan.  

Cut the shapes and use the plastic wrap to help you lift them up and off. 

Gingerbread Men and a Candy Cane - ready to bake!

Repeat with your other gingerbread shapes.  It's best to try to have evenly sized cookies on each pan.  Once you've cut out all your gingerbread shapes from your flattened oval, you can use the plastic wrap to lump the dough back together.  Flatten again between the plastic wrap.  You can repeat this until the piece of gingerbread is too small.   Make sure you don't forget about your second piece of chilling gingerbread dough! 

Ready for the oven.  I had enough for about 4 pans worth of medium-sized cookies.

Bake each pan of gingerbread cookies at 325 F for ~15 minutes.  Small cookies may need only 10 minutes, and larger may need up to 18 or so.  I like the cookies to have puffed nicely, and look like they're just getting a touch of crispiness around the edge.  This keeps them slightly soft, but sturdy enough to handle and decorate once cooled.  

Fresh from the oven!  

Let the cookies cool 3-5 minutes on pans before removing them to cooling racks with a spatula.  

Once fully cool, decorate as desired!  Royal icing recipe is below.  Enjoy! 

Believe it or not, there are gingerbread cookies under those candies and icing.

Royal Icing:

Beat the following in a grease-free bowl until stiff: (If needed, add a bit more confectioner’s sugar (very slowly) until desired thickness)

3 egg whites (make sure NO yolk is in whites)

1 lb. confectioner’s sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

You can keep the icing in a bowl with a tightly fitting lid if you want to make it in advance.  If you will be taking awhile to decorate, you'll want to keep bowl covered at all times with damp cloth because this icing dries fast and becomes hard.  You can pipe this frosting on, or you can just use a knife or back of a spoon to apply (which we tend to do while working with kids). Enjoy!

My youngest making her gingerbread house before she moved on to decorating gingerbread cookies. 

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies by Successfully Gluten Free!