1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place your silicone mold on a baking sheet for support.
2. Cream unsalted butter (2 sticks), light brown sugar (¾ cup), and white sugar (¾ cup) for 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
3. Mix in large eggs (2) and vanilla extract (1 tsp) until smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl halfway through.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (2½ cups), baking soda (1 tsp), and salt (1 tsp). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups).
5. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 10–15 minutes to help reduce spreading.
6. Roll the dough into 95g portions and place one dough ball into each well of the silicone mold.
7. Bake 15–18 minutes or until the edges are turning golden brown.
8. Let the cookie cakes cool completely in the silicone mold. Overnight is ideal. Once they are fully cooled, carefully pop each cookie cake out of the mold. If any are sticking, place the mold in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes and try again.
9. Tint the buttercream with your preferred gel food coloring and load it into piping bags. Check the notes section for the exact piping tips I used to create the gingerbread man design featured in this post.
10. Pipe buttercream (1/4 - 1/3 cup) into the center of each cookie. Flip each cookie upside down and press firmly onto a parchment-lined sheet until the frosting reaches the edges. Freeze overnight.
11. Remove the cookie cakes from the freezer and immediately flip them upright. The buttercream will be firm and ready for decorating, so go ahead and add your preferred colors and designs.

Decorating Instructions:  (Optional)

Use black, red, and white buttercream to create the gingerbread man face:

• Hair: Pipe a loose white squiggle across the top edge of the cookie.

• Eyes: Pipe two small black dots, then add tiny white dots on top for the highlights.

• Brows: Add two thin black curved lines above the eyes.

• Cheeks: Pipe two medium red dots on either side of the face.

• Smile: Use black buttercream to pipe a simple curved smile connecting the cheeks.

Tip: Keep the piping bags fitted with small round tips for clean lines and better control.