To make cookie dough: All-purpose flour Baking soda Ground ginger Ground cinnamon Ground cloves Salt Unsalted butter, softened Brown sugar, packed Granulated sugar Egg Vanilla extract For Decorating: Dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips (to melt) Red candies (such as red M&M’s or red cinnamon candies) Toothpicks
Throw all the dry stuff – flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt – into a bowl. Quick tip: sift it for a super smooth dough that's just right.
Mix up all the dry stuff with a whisk. Put the flour mix on the side. The secret to these gingerbread cookies is making everything blend perfectly.
In a big bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on low. Stop when it's creamy, light, and fluffy. Quick tip: Use room-temp butter for extra creaminess and a perfectly blended mix.
Add honey, egg, and vanilla extract to your butter mix. Use a high-speed setting with your hand mixer. Blend thoroughly until everything's mixed. Slowly add dry mix to wet.
Split the gingerbread dough in two, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat to 350°F, roll out one disk on a floured surface, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Nuke the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or use a double boiler. Stir it until it's smooth and melted. If microwaving, blast it in 20-second bursts, stirring in between until fully melted.
Dip a toothpick in melted chocolate, draw horn shapes on the cookie. Start with a small chocolate drop, pull it outwards and upwards for the horn. Add a red candy nose with chocolate, press, and draw the mouth.
Let the cookies chill until the decorations harden completely. Stick them in the fridge for a quicker fix. The timing varies, depending on your room's temperature.
Once the decorations are fully set and hardened, your reindeer cookies are ready to be enjoyed!