Ingredients

soft gingerbread cookies

4 cups (480 grams) all purpose flour, spooned & leveled*
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (150 grams) brown sugar
1 large egg
⅔ cup (160 ml) unsulfured molasses

chocolate liqueur glaze

1.5 cups (170 grams) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chocolate liqueur*
2–4 tablespoons milk

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Instructions

Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. For this recipe it is extremely important not to overmeasure your flour, as crumbly dough won’t work well in the molds. If measuring with cups, I recommend starting with 3.5 cups of flour and adding more as necessary.
Beat together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and molasses and beat until combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until large clumps begin to form. Knead until the dough comes together.
Separate the dough in half and form two discs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the mold by lightly greasing with vegetable oil and then dusting with flour. Tap the mold against your counter to remove any excess flour. Repeat the flouring after each cookie, but only add vegetable oil as needed.
Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator and break off a piece large enough to fill the mold. Press the dough firmly into the mold. Tap the edge of the mold against your counter until the dough begins to fall out.*
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining disc of dough.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until they just begin to brown around the edges. Bake times will vary significantly depending on the size and thickness of your cookie mold.
While the cookies are baking, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter and chocolate liqueur in a small bowl. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until your glaze is smooth and thin (about the consistency of maple syrup).
Generously brush the cookies with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for two weeks.

Notes

Spooned and leveled: Scooping a measuring cup into a flour container can result in much more flour than intended, which can affect the success of your cookies. To get a more accurate measurement, use a spoon to lightly scoop flour into the measuring cup until it’s completely full. Then run the back of a knife over the cup to gently scrape off any excess.

Chocolate liqueur: We like to use Godiva chocolate liqueur, but other chocolate liqueurs, Baileys Irish Cream and Kahlua would all make great substitutions. For a non-alcoholic version, you can simply add additional milk or chocolate milk.

Removing the cookies from the mold: If you’re having trouble getting the cookies out of the mold, you can use your fingers to gently press the dough away from the sides. Then use a toothpick or knife to pry out one of the edges and gently peel away from the mold.