Gingerbread Cookies of 1796

A plate of assorted gingerbread cookies, inspired by a Colonial Williamsburg 1796 recipe, in star, heart, and flower shapes sits on a patterned dish beside a folded napkin.

Gingerbread Cookies of 1796

Adapted from Hannah Glasse's The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy and scaled using baker's math from the original five-pound traveling dough, these Colonial Williamsburg gingerbread cookies are cut into hearts — as colonial tradition intended — and spiced as boldly as the 18th century demanded. Less sweet than modern expectations, more complex than anything from a box. Part of 31Daily's America's 250th Anniversary Tea series.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Servings: cookies

Calories: 115kcal

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
½ cup brown sugar packed
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup molasses
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon water

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Instructions

Cream the Butter: In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until combined.

Creaming softened butter and brown sugar rather than rubbing cold butter into the flour mixture introduces air into the dough, and when combined with baking soda, will transform these historic cookies from hardened traveling cakes into soft, more modern cookies

Warm the Liquids: In a small saucepan over low heat, or for a few seconds in the microwave, combine the molasses, cream, and water. Stir just until warm and combined—do not let it boil.
Mix the Dough: Add the flour, ground ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt to the creamed butter and mix until the dough is crumbly. Pour the warm liquid into the flour mixture and mix until a stiffer dough forms. If it feels too sticky to roll, add a tablespoon more flour; if it’s too crumbly, add a teaspoon of water.
Roll and Cut: Roll it out to about ¼ inch thickness on a floured surface and cut into shapes, rounds, or rectangles. Chill for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350℉.
Bake: Hannah Glasse wouldn't have had a thermostat, but a "moderate oven" for these translates to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are firm. They will crisp up as they cool.

Notes

Cookie Size & Yield: I'm using a 3 to 4-inch cutter, which will yield about 24-25 cookies and bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness. If using a 2-inch cutter, reduce the baking time to 8-9 minutes. I prefer to combine these two sizes, using the smaller cutter for leftover dough scraps. That gives me closer to 30 cookies.
Chilling the Dough: I prefer to roll out the cookie dough, transfer to the baking sheet, and then chill until cold. This helps reduce spreading (although these cookies spread very little) and cracking. When cookie dough becomes warm, it tends to spread and crack.

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