Flavorless gingerbread cookies...Help

A ginger glaze could help this batch (steep some fresh grated ginger in whatever liquid you use).  Based on the recipes we use it seems like the spice quantity is too low 6 c. of flour.  I usually double them for ginger cookies - we like intense, complex flavor.  We love lots of molasses, so 1 c. is a good start.  Using dried molasses crystals in place of some of the sugar would intensify that flavor without adding moisture.  I also add minced candied ginger and/or grated fresh.  I'm assuming that your spices are fairly fresh. Maybe compare this with other recipes from places like KAF to see what's different.  The fact that they're homemade and you took the time will impress your guests!

I like ginger cookies to bite you back.  My recipe calls for 4.5 tsp ground ginger plus 4.5 tsp grated fresh ginger plus 1 cup of crystallized ginger all against 2 cups of flour - so that is drastically more ginger than the recipe posted above - but mine definitely bite you back and are probably too hot for kids (and awesome with vanilla ice cream)

You could try making a "tea" out of grated fresh ginger and steep it in a little boiling water - and try brushing that on a cookie and see what you get.  If the cookies are not too sweet already you could mix a little sugar in the ginger tea first.

and they were bland the first day but gradually got stronger as the days wet on.  Yesterday the last one was pretty good but... it was the last one.   Mine had lemon zest in them and a good dose of Anise seeds. 

My recipe had to four cups of flour (500g)  6g (6 teaspoons) mixed spices  and 8g Anise seed, 18g lemon zest  just to give an idea.  

"...6 dozen tasteless little men."    Had to laugh, there's a joke there somewhere....   I put a strong flavoured jam on half of them and doubled them up.  Then brushed with a mixture of melted dark chocolate and butter, about 50/50 and let them set.   

I started developing oil-based cookie recipes when the price of butter sky-rocketed here a few years ago. Also, I never finalized  converting my cups to grams.This one was still in development and never finalized but if I remember, the product really lit up a co-workers eyes that LOVED ginger cookies. She preferred the molasses version after it sat for a few days though she said the honey only version was still gingery goodness. The honey-only was also lighter colored, of course.

Note that there are not a lot of other spices in it and I even eliminated the cinnamon for my next go-around. I wanted a GINGER cookie and not a SPICE cookie. Feel free to add other spices but remember to let them age for 2-3 days for them to be at their best. All those aromatics have to disperse!

GINGER CRINKLES

Oil based cookies       Dough Weight 728g    1 tsp dough=8g   350F 7 minutes         6 dozen

Ingredients:

Mix oil and sugar thoroughly with a mixer. Add Egg and mix well. Then add dry ingredients that have been well sifted together and mix until incorporated.

Roll a teaspoon (8g) of dough into a ball and roll in granulated sugar.

If dough sticky, let rest for 20 minutes and use oiled hands to handle

Place on ungreased cookie sheet-do NOT flatten

Bake 350F (175c)for 7-8 minutes

These are puffy cookies that develop a nice crackle on top. They taste much better on day 2-4 after baking.

The molasses makes them very dark brown and too molasses-y tasting, though many people liked them and they mellowed after a day.

Try dark brown sugar for a lighter cookie. (Looking at this now, I have no idea why I wrote this. I wonder if I meant use dark brown sugar instead of molasses for a lighter colored cookie?)

Have fun!

Mine are puffy and crackle when they bake.

While I have a gingersnap recipe I'm happy with (Gourmet Cookie Book), I've recently seen a version of it with a little black pepper in it.  I've also seen recipes calling for cayenne pepper in gingersnaps.  Interesting take, and might be worth a try.