Hi, friends! 🍪✨
It’s that time of year again—when the smell of freshly baked cookies fills the air, and we’re all thinking about how to sweeten our fundraising strategies (or at least we are, because that’s just who we are).
But today, we’re taking a short break from donor engagement and campaign planning to share a recipe that’s been passed down in the EverCrew for at least…a few Google searches. Yes, it’s time for gingerbread cookies—the ultimate holiday treat that’s as warm as your most heartfelt donor thank-you note.
Oh, and if you’re here for the secret to perfect cookies and perfect fundraising, keep reading. 😉
Ingredients
To start, here’s what you’ll need—both for cookies and campaign success:
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (for a rich, robust flavor—just like a well-crafted donor message!)
- 1 stick butter or margarine, softened (because smooth execution is key, in cookies and donor workflows alike!)
- 2 large eggs (a crucial binder…think of these as your key stakeholders!)
- 1/4 cup molasses (the sweet touch your messaging needs)
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (because every campaign needs a solid foundation!)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger (a hint of spice adds flair—just like a perfectly timed Giving Day!)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (it’s all about balance—like juggling stewardship and appeals)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for warmth—never forget the human touch in fundraising!)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (a pinch of the unexpected works wonders)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (you can’t skip the essentials, whether it’s salt or segmentation!)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (because donors deserve icing on the cake—or cookie)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (to smooth things out, like your donor journey)
Instructions
- Mix It Up: Start by creaming together the sugar and butter until it’s smooth and dreamy—like the perfect donor outreach strategy. Add the eggs and molasses, blending until it’s a unified message…err, dough.
- Get Organized: Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. It might feel like a heavy lift (we see you, year-end giving), but keep going—you’re building something wonderful.
- Plan Ahead: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. Think of this as the cooling-off period after a big Giving Tuesday push.
- Time to Shine: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough to about 1/8″ thick, cut out your favorite shapes, and bake for 10 minutes. These cookies will be the stars of the show—just like your donor stewardship efforts!
- Make it Personal: Mix powdered sugar with milk to create your icing, then decorate. (Pro tip: a little extra effort here goes a long way, just like a personalized video thank-you.)
And there you have it—gingerbread cookies as sweet as a record-breaking fundraising campaign. Let us know what you think!