Recipes: Dessert

Chewy Blueberry Gingerbread Cookies

These soft, chewy Blueberry Gingerbread cookies are fun to make, fun to decorate and the most fun to eat. The cookies themselves are packed with zesty flavor from ingredients like dried blueberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, and the icing adds a sweet, extra-festive boost of blue. Add even more flair by using your favorite holiday cookie cutters, and decorate with – what else – dried blueberries for that finishing touch.

Chewy Blueberry Gingerbread Cookies

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1⁄2 cup unsweetened dried blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves 
  • 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • 1⁄2 cup brown sugar 
  • 1 egg 
  • 1⁄2 cup molasses 

Blueberry Frosting

  • 2 pasteurized egg whites
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 3⁄4 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup puréed fresh blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1⁄4 cup unsweetened dried blueberries

Cookie Instructions

  • Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the egg. Beat in molasses until smooth.  
  • Beat in flour mixture on low speed just until mixed; mix in dried blueberries. Divide dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough, one portion at a time, to 1/4-inch thickness.
  • Using floured 3-inch cookie cutters, cut out cookies, rerolling scraps to make 20 cookies. Using a spatula, transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake in batches, rotating pans halfway through, for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are firm and lightly golden around edges. Let cool slightly on a baking sheet; transfer to rack and let cool completely.

    Blueberry Frosting Instructions

      1. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until light and foamy. Increase speed to high; beat until soft peaks start to form. 
      2. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in icing sugar.  
      3. Increase speed to high; beat in puréed fresh blueberries and vanilla until smooth and spreadable (thicken with more icing sugar or thin with water if needed). Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. Spread or pipe icing onto cookies; decorate with dried blueberries. 
    • For holiday cookies, roll out the dough and cut out using a snowflake cookie cutter.