Are you mentally prepared for the awesomeness of CONJOINED TWIN GINGERBREAD COOKIES?!

THEY HAVE ARRIVED!

How are these NOT the coolest gingerbread cookies you've ever seen?! C'mon. Admit it. If nothing else, the cookies made by this cookie cutter are GIGANTIC--pretty much the size of your face!

And you'll be glad for such a large serving too because this cookie recipe is a keeper! It was a well-received cookie at the party. This recipe differs from other gingerbread cookie recipes with the addition of a bit of coffee liqueur to complement the spices. The cookies are crisp on the edges and just a tiny bit chewy in the center. The fragrant warm spices are balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. Add a pinch of black pepper to bring out even more spiciness!


Gingerbread Cookies (adapted from BHG Biggest Book of Cookies, pg. 233)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter (5 & 1/3 tablespoons), softened
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/4 cup mild-flavored molasses
2 Tablespoons coffee liqueur, strong coffee, or milk
2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:
Beat the butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium-high for 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and beat to combine. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg, molasses, and coffee liqueur and mix until combined. Add as much flour as you can with the mixer before the mixer starts groaning (more of a concern with handheld mixers). If necessary, mix in rest of flour by hand with wooden spoon. The dough should be soft. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 3 hours or until stiff and easy to handle (can use freezer to speed this process up).

When dough is chilled, take one half out at a time and roll it out on a well-floured working surface. Roll quickly, shifting the dough round often to make sure it isn't sticking and if necessary, dust working surface with more flour before continuing. Roll out dough until approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut desired shapes with floured cookie cutters and transfer dough to a prepared greased cookie sheet. If dough sticks, you can use a flat spatula to help transfer. Place cookie shapes at least 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Edges will be slightly darker. Cool a couple minutes on cookie sheet to allow cookies to set before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with royal icing (recipe below). Cookies can be stored at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 3 days, or frozen for a few months (if you want to store iced cookies, make sure to separate layers with some sort of paper or plastic lining).

Royal Icing

With a fork or whisk, combine 1/3 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons meringue powder, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Add 3 to 3 & 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar and beat with mixer at high speed until smooth and a thick enough consistency to pipe without running. (I tested this by drawing a line with the whisk on the side of the bowl to see if the line kept its shape.) If you want to make different colors, divide the icing accordingly and tint with food coloring.

To ice cookies, either spread directly on cookies with small spatula, or scoop some icing into a bottom corner of a sandwich-size plastic bag and twist bag to push icing into corner. Snip off the tip of the bag as small as you can so the piping diameter is thin.

If you want your own conjoined twin cookies, you can purchase them online here.
Holiday cookies will never be the same again!