Chocolate Covered Gingerbread

It has been quite some time since I have made gingerbread cookies. With all the excitement around gingerbread houses and gingerbread cakes, in our house, the cookies take a back seat.

But I had a special request for the holiday season, so I must oblige.
Twist.My.Arm
I dusted off my cookie cutter and scoured my recipe archives, and found a fun idea in Nancy Baggett’s All American Cookie Book
I slightly altered the recipe, only very slightly. I think the cookie benefits from a bit of honey, and that the glaze needs a nice chocolate bump.

Chocolate Glazed Gingerbread
(adapted from all american cookie book)
6 1/2 cups flour (plus more if needed)
2 Tbs ground cinnamon
2 Tbs ground ginger *
1 tsp ground cloves
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt *
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar *
1 cup unsalted butter–slightly softened
2 Tbs corn oil (or other flavorless oil)
1 1/4 cup molasses*
1/4 cup honey*
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside. In an electric mixer, beat together the brown sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, honey and 2 1/2 Tbs water until well blended. Beat in half the flour mixture until well blended. Stir in the remaining flour. knead the dough until it becomes smooth and shiny. If dough is too stiff, you may add a bit more water, if too sticky, add flour. Divide dough into three pieces. Roll each piece in between pieces of wax or parchment paper to 1/4″ thick. Place in the refrigerator to firm up (about 3 hours). When ready to use, peel back the parchment from both sides and using a cookie cutter, stamp out design. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for approximately 6-12 minutes at 350F. Keep a close eye. Let cool, then dip in chocolate glaze

Chocolate Luster Glaze
1 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate–coarsely chopped and melted*
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
pinch kosher salt*
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
1/3 cup water
1 Tbs light or dark corn syrup*
1 tsp vanilla extract
Heat the water and corn syrup in a sauce pan, over medium heat until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Sift together the powdered sugar, salt and cocoa powder. Stir the hot syrup/water into the powdered sugar mixture and beat by hand until smooth and shiny. Toss in the vanilla and melted chocolate and beat again until smooth. Dip cookies or use an offset spatula to frost. Let cookies sit a minimum of 3 hours to ensure they are set. Decorate as desired.

the ingredients marked by * have been altered, or added by yours truly.