Soft And Chewy Gewurzplatzchen (German Spice Cookies)

One of the perks of being a military family is that you get to meet a variety of people from different backgrounds and cultures.  My children have enjoyed learning about different countries, foods, cultures, worldviews, and more on our moving adventures through the years.

One of our favorite traditions during the holidays is making cookies together.  I try to keep things simple and make only a few kinds.  We have made gingerbread cookies in the past, but they really weren’t a favorite in our house.

My kids would rather roll and cut out sugar cookies because, as they describe it, “the dough tastes better”.  They don’t like to eat the raw gingerbread dough, but they love the finished product.

This recipe comes from a sweet older woman at one of our past military posts.  The girls adored her and her plates of German cookies she would share with us.  They affectionately called her Oma (grandma in German).

These cookies taste like warm, fresh gingerbread men – without all the work and fuss!  You make them like you make Snicker doodles, by flattening out the balls and sprinkling them with sugar before baking.

If you love soft cookies and the smell of holiday spices, you will drool over these cookies!

• ¾ cup butter

• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed tightly

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup molasses

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ½ tsp ground cloves

• ½ tsp allspice

• A small amount of white sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream the butter and sugar until smooth, then add the egg and molasses and mix thoroughly.

Sift the dry ingredients and add slowly to the wet mixture a little at time.

I find that my cookies hold their shape better and bake more evenly if I chill the dough for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.  This is not a requirement though – you can bake them right away.

Form the dough into ¾ inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.  You can use parchment paper to line your cookie sheet.  Flatten each ball with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in water and sugar – or just flatten with your palm and sprinkle sugar onto each cookie.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cracks form on the top of the cookies.

This post is a part of the series A Cookie A Day Until Christmas.

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Aadel has been married to her career Army man for eleven years and they have two daughters and a freshly made son. She writes about unschooling, theology, quilting, and more at her blog These Temporary Tents. You can also find her writing about education and wholesome living at Natural Family Today. Connect with her on Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

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