To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk beater, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and zest at low speed until combined.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
2. Stop the mixer and add the butter pieces; mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1 1/2 minutes.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
3. Then, add the finely chopped chocolate and stir to combine. Remove the whisk beater and replace with the paddle attachment.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and, with the mixer running, slowly pour the molasses mixture into the flour mixture.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
6. Mix until the dough is moist, then increase the speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
7. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide it in half and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour, or until firm enough to work with without becoming sticky.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
8. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough
9. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment paper, stack the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
2. Remove 1 dough sheet from the freezer and place on a lightly floured work surface or a silicone pastry mat.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
3. Peel off the top parchment sheet and gently lay it back in place. Flip the dough, remove the bottom layer and discard.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
4. Cut the dough into 3 to 5-inch sized gingerbread people or other Christmas shaped cookies (we also LOVE snowflakes). Set the scraps aside for reuse.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
6. Transfer the pan with cookies back to the freezer for a few minutes to firm the dough up again before baking.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
7. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F for 8-12 minutes on the middle rack. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
To Make the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
9. Combine all of the leftover dough scraps and repeat the process of rolling between sheets of parchment paper and freezing the dough. Then, continue process of making more cookies until all of the dough has been used.
To Make the Icing for Decorating the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
1. Combine the powdered sugar with the meringue powder, vanilla extract, and 4 tablespoons of water in a large mixing bowl.
To Make the Icing for Decorating the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
2. Beat the icing ingredients using a hand mixer on high (slowly work up to high so you don't end up with a mess everywhere!). Beat for 1 - 2 minutes on high speed, scraping the sides with a silicone spatula if needed.
To Make the Icing for Decorating the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
3. Continue beating and adding more water until the right consistency is reached. The icing should flow easily off of the beaters and smooth back into the bowl of icing when drizzled into the bowl.
To Make the Icing for Decorating the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
4. The icing can dry out quickly, so I don't like to prepare it before I plan to make the cookies
To Make the Icing for Decorating the Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
5. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip for outlining and decorating cookies.