Gingerbread Angels

Festive holiday cookies featuring a perfect blend of ginger, cinnamon, and orange flavors. These angel-shaped cookies are made with both ground and crystallized ginger, enriched with molasses and decorated with sparkling sugar for a beautiful finish.

36 servings

4 hr 36 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•6 cups all purpose flour
•1 tablespoon ground ginger
•1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
•2 teaspoons baking soda
•1 teaspoon salt
•½ cup crystallized ginger
•1 cup unsalted butter
•1 cup sugar
•½ cup golden brown sugar
•2 whole large eggs
•¼ cup light molasses
•¼ cup fresh orange juice
•2 teaspoons orange peel
•1 whole egg white
•to taste decorative sugar

Cooking Instructions

1.
Whisk flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, soda, and salt in large bowl. Place crystallized ginger in mini processor; add 1 tablespoon flour mixture and blend until ginger is very finely chopped. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in molasses, orange juice, and orange peel (batter may look curdled). Beat in crystallized ginger mixture. Blend in remaining flour-spice mixture. Gather dough together. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 4 hours.
240 min
2.
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Divide dough into 4 portions; shape each into round. Chill 3 rounds. Roll out remaining dough round on floured work surface to generous 1/8-inch thickness. Using floured angel-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Gather dough scraps and reroll to generous 1/8-inch thickness; cut out more cookies. Using spatula, transfer cookies to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush cookies with glaze, then sprinkle with raw sugar and/or colored sugar, if desired.
20 min
3.
Bake cookies until golden, reversing sheets after 7 minutes, about 14 minutes total. Let stand 2 minutes; transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling baking sheets between batches. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container.
16 min

Ingredients

•6 cups all purpose flour

•1 tablespoon ground ginger

•1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

•2 teaspoons baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•½ cup crystallized ginger

•1 cup unsalted butter

•1 cup sugar

•½ cup golden brown sugar

•2 whole large eggs

•¼ cup light molasses

•¼ cup fresh orange juice

•2 teaspoons orange peel

•1 whole egg white

•to taste decorative sugar

Cooking Instructions

Whisk flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, soda, and salt in large bowl. Place crystallized ginger in mini processor; add 1 tablespoon flour mixture and blend until ginger is very finely chopped. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in molasses, orange juice, and orange peel (batter may look curdled). Beat in crystallized ginger mixture. Blend in remaining flour-spice mixture. Gather dough together. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 4 hours.

240 min

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Divide dough into 4 portions; shape each into round. Chill 3 rounds. Roll out remaining dough round on floured work surface to generous 1/8-inch thickness. Using floured angel-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Gather dough scraps and reroll to generous 1/8-inch thickness; cut out more cookies. Using spatula, transfer cookies to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush cookies with glaze, then sprinkle with raw sugar and/or colored sugar, if desired.

20 min

Bake cookies until golden, reversing sheets after 7 minutes, about 14 minutes total. Let stand 2 minutes; transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling baking sheets between batches. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container.

16 min