Gingerbread

Serafima/Shutterstock

@BostonTweet

The gingerbread man comes with his own armada at The Cafe at Taj Boston. Every year pastry chef Robert Alger welcomes the season with an elaborate gingerbread construction and this year features the Boston Tea Party, in cookie form. You can see the tasty historical scene, ships and tiny revolutionaries and all, in the hotel lobby and give your own holiday scene a go with Alger’s gingerbread recipe below.

See more holiday cookie recipes here.

Details

Yields: a boatload

Ingredients

  • 9 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar.
  4. Add the eggs and molasses slowly, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
  5. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the ingredients are well incorporated.
  6. Chill the dough and then roll out on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness.
  7. Use festive cookie cutters and transfer shapes onto a cookie sheet.
  8. Bake until desired color and crispness. Decorate with white icing and candy décor of your choice.

You may also be interested in