Cape Cod Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Lobster-Men Cookies 

Tired of the same-old, ho-hum gingerbread boy Christmas cookies?

We decided to have a little fun this year and spice things up with our Cape Cod-inspired Lobster-Men Gingerbread Cookies.

The recipe is easy and our Lobster Cookie Cutter will turn any frown up-side-down...And they are so yummy they're hard to put down! You could also use one of our other great seaside cookie cutters.  We have the classic Scallop Shell Cookie Cutter, the Whale Cookie Cutter, the Dolphin Cookie Cutter, and many more adorable coastal and nautical cookie cutters.

Get into the Cape Cod Christmas spirit, and gather your sheet pans, parchment paper, cooling racks, and coastal cookie cutters together and let's start making some Cape Cod Gingerbread Cookies!

Gather together Sugar, Eggs, Flour, Salt, Nutmeg, Shortening, Molasses, Baking Soda, Allspice (or Cloves), Ginger, and Cinnamon.

We found a tip we liked in the current issue of Martha.  She suggests forming your dough into a flat disk for easy storage (one atop another) and we found it fit perfectly on a small pizza pan.  Just slide it in the fridge for a few hours to make it cold for rolling out.

 

I have one word for you: PARCHMENT!  Making cookies without parchment paper is a total waste of energy.  Do the bottoms of your cookies sometimes burn?  Use parchment and they won't.  Have trouble sliding your cookies off the cookies sheet?  You won't if you use parchment.  Another cookie essential is a commercial-grade Sheet Pan.  This pan is ideal because it won't warp and will keep your cookies nice and flat for easier decorating later on.

We also have found that rolling out your dough directly on to Parchment Paper makes for fewer casualties when transferring cut-out cookies to the pan.  Just peel away the extra dough around your cut cookies then lift the paper onto the Sheet Pan.  It's a beautiful thing.

This lobster catch is all wrapped up and sitting on our Cape Cod Christmas Tree awaiting the arrival of a hungry guest in need of Christmas cheer.

Cape Cod Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Click here to print recipe

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 325°

2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Shortening
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Molasses
4 Cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Allspice
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg

Directions

1. Cream together Sugar and Shortening.
2. Add 2 Eggs and 1/2 Cup Molasses.
3. Sift together Flour, Baking Soda, and Spices.
4. Add to Sugar Mixture.
5. Form dough into a flat disk for easy storage.
6. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for several hours.
7. Roll dough out onto Parchment Paper, about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.
8. Cut out with Lobster Cookie Cutter and peel away extra dough.
9. Lift parchment and slide on to Sheet Pan.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

For Icing

1 Cup Confectioner's Sugar

1 T Milk

Combine Confectioner's Sugar and Milk.  Spoon into pastry bag with a thin piping tip.  Outline cookies and have fun!

Outrageously Good Cape Cod Cranberry Harvest Oatmeal Cookies

We've got Cranberries straight from the bog, so fresh and delicious, they're at their peak of perfection this month on Cape Cod.   We're sharing our new recipe for Cranberry Harvest Oatmeal Cookies (with white chocolate chips, of course) which will tantalize your taste buds with sweet-tart, oatey-crunchy delight.  I have to admit, these cookies are outrageously good!  Click the here to print out our recipe.     -Colleen

Cape Cod Cranberry Harvest Oatmeal Cookies

makes 2 dozen cookies



Ingredients:

¾ cup butter 
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped cranberries
¾ cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips 



Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.  Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  Add to butter mixture.  Stir in the oats.  Fold in nuts, cranberries, and white chocolate chips.  

3.  Line a baker’s sheet pan with parchment paper.  For large cookies, use a ¼ cup (2oz) scoop, and place about 2” apart.

4.  Bake 12-15 minutes until edges are slightly browned.  Cool on wire racks.

Enjoy!