Recipe: Sherrill's Secret Soft Gingerbread Boys (Sherrill's Bakery copycat recipe)

SOFT GINGERBREAD BOYS
(like Sherrill's Restaurant)

Rolled gingerbread cookies are usually on the crisp and crunchy side, but these are plump, lightly glazed, sweet and not too spicy, and, most important, noticeably chewy-soft. They are my re-creation of an enormously popular cookie once sold by a now defunct Capitol Hill diner called Sherrill's Restaurant. I first became aware of the cookies in 2000, when Washington Post reporter Douglas Hanks wrote a story about his unsuccessful attempts to obtain the recipe for the diner's special soft gingerbread boys from its creator, retired baker Howard Ward.

I, too, failed at persuading Mr. Ward to part with the recipe, but I decided to try to duplicate it. Renee Schettler and her colleagues at the Washington Post food section who had sampled the cookies in the past provided me with a detailed description. After numerous attempts and a lot of helpful feedback, I finally produced a batch that they declared "very, very close to the original." Note that this recipe does not contain any eggs."

FOR THE COOKIES:
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2/3 cup light molasses
Generous 1/2 cup clover (or other mild) honey
1/3 cup corn oil (or other flavorless vegetable oil)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
Dark raisins or dried currants (for eyes and buttons)
FOR THE GLAZE:
1 1/3 cups powdered' sugar, sifted after measuring if lumpy
3 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons corn oil (or other flavorless vegetable oil)

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
In a large saucepan, stir together the butter, molasses, honey, oil and brown sugar until blended. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture just comes to a full boil. Immediately start timing and cook, stirring occasionally, for exactly 1 minute. Remove from the heat; let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Working carefully to avoid splashes, pour the molasses mixture over the flour mixture. Beat with a mixer on low, then medium speed until very well blended. If the mixer motor labors, stop and complete the mixing by hand. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes, or until barely warm and stiffened.

TO ROLL THE DOUGH:
Divide the dough into thirds. Roll out each portion between sheets of baking parchment or wax paper until a generous 1/4-inch thick. Stack the rolled portions (paper still attached) on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours, or freeze for 30 to 40 minutes, or until very cold and firm.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease several baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray oil.

Working with one dough portion at a time and leaving the others in the refrigerator, gently peel off the top sheet of paper, then pat the paper loosely back into place so it will be easy to remove later. Invert the dough and peel off the second sheet.

Using a 4- to 5-inch gingerbread boy (or girl) cutter, cut out the cookies. Using a spatula, transfer cookies to baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.* If at any point the dough softens too much to handle easily, transfer the paper and cookies to a baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until firm. Re-roll any dough scraps. Continue cutting out the cookies until all the dough is used. Very firmly press raisins into the cookies for eyes and buttons.

Bake for 9 to 14 minutes, until the tops are lightly colored and the edges are slightly darker; don't underbake. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks over sheets of baking parchment or wax paper. Let the cookies stand for 4 minutes to firm up. Using a wide spatula, transfer them to the racks.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
In a 1-quart saucepan, stir together the powdered sugar, 3 1/2 tablespoons water and oil until well blended. Bring to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat, for 30 to 45 seconds (the glaze will be clear). Stir to recombine the glaze, then use immediately while it is still hot. (If the glaze is allowed to stand and cool, it may thicken and become sugary. In this case, add a teaspoon of hot water to thin it again, place over medium heat, and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. Immediately remove from the heat and use.)

TO GLAZE THE COOKIES:
Using a pastry brush or a paper towel, brush the cookies with glaze until their tops are coated all over with an even layer; the more glaze you use, the softer the cookies will be. Stir the glaze frequently to prevent it from separating. Let the cookies cool completely, at least 1 hour. It's normal for the glaze to become slightly sugary (the glaze will be clear).

The cookies will keep, packed flat with baking parchment or wax paper between the layers and stored airtight, at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for up to 2 months.

*To keep this dough from warming up and softening too quickly, thoroughly chill a large baking sheet. Then lay the dough on it as you cut out the cookies. Chill the baking sheet as needed for successive batches.

Makes 16-18 gingerbread boys
Source: The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett