LJCSC’s expert baker Dr. Kiersten Riedler takes us into the cozy world of holiday baking, sharing her tips and tricks for making the perfect gingerbread cookies.
From rolling the dough just the right thickness to using fresh, fragrant spices, she reveals the details that make these cookies both delicious and festive.
Along the way, Dr. Riedler draws fun parallels between baking and her work in facial plastic surgery, highlighting how precision, planning, and creativity are key in both.
She also shares the joy—and gentle pressure—of living up to friends and family expectations during the holidays.

Dr. Riedler’s gingerbread cookies recipe:
Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¾ cup molasses
• 2 Tbsp milk

Instructions:

1. Process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. Add melted butter, molasses, and milk and process until soft dough forms and no streaks of flour remain, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
2. Spray counter or silicone pastry mat lightly with baking spray with flour, transfer dough to counter, and knead until dough forms cohesive ball, about 20 seconds. Divide dough in half. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Space cookies ¾ inch apart on rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Repeat rolling and cutting steps with dough scraps.
4. Bake until cookies are puffy and just set around edges, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before decorating and serving.

Links

See some of Dr. Riedler’s gorgeous Christmas cookies and watch her bake them
Listen to LJCSC’s festive holiday playlist to set the perfect mood while you bake, making your kitchen feel as magical as the season itself.
Book a free 15-to-30-minute complimentary phone call with Dr. Riedler’s patient coordinator
Meet San Diego facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kiersten Riedler
Learn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Awards.
Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego’s most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.
To learn more, go to LJCSC.com or follow the team on Instagram @LJCSC
Watch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube @LaJollaCosmeticSurgeryCentre
The La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis: theaxis.io
Theme music: Busy People, SOOP