Eat Like a Sim’s Month of Cookies – Gingerbread Plumbobs

This week’s recipe is not actually a recipe from the game, but rather something that I came up with to put a festive spin on the most recognizable icons of the Sims… the plumbob! Since the holidays are gingerbread season, I thought gingerbread plumbobs might be a fun little cookie to make.

The plumbob has been around since The Sims 1 and is used as a device to identify the mood and needs of your Sim. Each game has changed the mechanics of how the plumbob works (The Sims 4 changed it to reflect the emotional state that your Sims are in for instance) but has never changed what its shape. It has always maintained its elongated diamond shape which easily identifies it, even outside of the game.

I decided to come up with a recipe for Gingerbread Plumbobs. The cookie recipe itself is homemade, however, I decided to cheat a little with the frosting and just used store bought this time as the cookies themselves take some time to prepare and bake. For this recipe you can either use a square cookie cutter to achieve the diamond shape (though the shape will be a bit off) or you can hand cut them like I did using a knife.

Gingerbread Plumbobs

Gingerbread cookies made to look like plumbobs from The Sims. Top with green food coloring to make them look festive!

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tbsp milk (as needed to moisten the dough)
  • 1 tub green frosting with festive sprinkles (I used Pillsbury Holiday Funfetti)

Non-edible necessities

  • parchment paper
  • diamond shaped cookie cutters (optional – you can cut them by hand if you wish)
  • plastic wrap
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F

  2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together with a hand mixer until light brown in color and fluffy. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla, mix well.

  3. In a separate bowl combine the flours, spices, salt, and baking soda with a whisk.

  4. Slowly add the flour mixture in small batches to the wet mixture and mix between each addition of the flour mixture.

  5. Mix until the dough has formed a ball. If too crumbly add a tablespoon or two of milk, but go slow because you don’t want to add too much.

  6. Once the dough ball has formed, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

  7. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick.

  8. Cut the dough either with a cookie cutter or by hand with a knife into the shape of a plumbob and place on the parchment lined baking sheet, approximately 1 inch apart.

  9. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

  10. Let cookies cool completely then frost with green store-bought frosting and top with sprinkles.