Gingerbread Men With Royal Icing

These gingerbread men are perfect for the holidays, and super easy to make! 

Step 1: Ingredients

For the cookie base, I decided to make sugar cookies because they are my favorite cookie and who doesn't love sugar cookies!?

Cookies-
*3 sticks of butter, softened
*3 cups sugar, white
*4 eggs
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*1 teaspoon salt
*5-6 cups all purpose flour

 

Step 2: Make the Cookies

Recipe-
1. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Wisk in the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add in flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. Cover and let chill overnight.

 

Step 3: Cut Out Cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Once your cookies are fully chilled, lightly spread powdered sugar on a flat clean surface. Roll out dough about 1/4 inch thick. This dough can be a little sticky, but keep adding the powder and you'll be fine. Now, starting from the edges, use your cookie cutter and cut out each gingerbread man. Transfer onto an un-greased nonstick cookie sheet. Bake for 6-7 minutes.

Step 4: Make Royal Icing

Royal icing is great to use for decorated cookies like these because they harden and allow you to be detailed. However, I did not like the idea of using raw eggs to make it, so instead I used Karo light corn syrup in place of the eggs and it left my cookies with a nice, glossy finish!
 
What You'll Need-
*3-4 cups powdered sugar
*2 tablespoons luke warm water
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear)
*1 tablespoon corn syrup
 
Decorating Ingredients-
*Pasty bag/or ziplock bag
*#1 or #2 tip
*Cupler for the tip
*Holiday sprinkles
*Cinnamon drops
*Red, green and brown food coloring
 
Recipe-
1. In a small bowl, wisk together the corn syrup, water, and extract until completely dissolved.
2. In a large separate bowl, add the powdered sugar
3. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and beat with a wisk on low speed until no lumps are seen. 

 

Step 5: Decorate!

The most exciting part, decorating! transfer some of your royal icing in a small bowl and color it with the brown food coloring. transfer to pastry bag or ziplock and cut a hole at the bottom of the bag. Outline the gingerbread men with the #2 tip as close to the edges as you can get it. Let fully dry before doing the next step!
 
1. Fully coat the inside with the brown icing, filling the entire gingerbread man.
2. With white icing and a #2 tip, make an outline of the cookie.
3. Give your gingerbread man a smile and eyes with the white icing.
4. Add 'buttons' to the cookies with the cinnamon drops
5. You can decorate the arms and legs however you want, I made booties on the feet and added sprinkles and a couple lines on his arms. 
 
Now you have adorable and delicious gingerbread men cookies!