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Gingerbread Cookies: The Quintessential Holiday Treat
Gingerbread cookies truly embody the essence of the holiday season – spreading joy, warmth, and a sense of togetherness. It’s a wonderful treat that brings people closer and creates lasting memories.
When the delightful aroma of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves wafts through your home, even Santa Claus himself might mistake your house for a bakery! This recipe doesn’t require any culinary expertise and is also highly customisable. So, feel free to add a touch of whimsy or a pinch of mischief, go wild with shapes and decorations, and make this Christmas treat uniquely yours!
INGREDIENTS:
- Butter at room temperature (regular or lactose-free) – 100 g
- Caster Sugar (we use powdered brown sugar) – 100 g
- Egg – 1 pcs
- Honey (runny) – 3 tsp
- Flour (sifted) – 200 g, plus for dusting
- Baking powder – 1 tsp
- Ground Dried Ginger (Ginger Powder) – 2 tsp
- Ground Cloves (Cloves Powder) – 1/2 tsp
- Ground Cinnamon (Cinnamon Powder) – 1 tsp
- Ground Cardamom (Cardamom Powder)- 1 tsp
- A pinch of Salt
COOKING METHOD:
- Start by mixing the butter and sugar with a stand or hand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take around 5-7 minutes depending on the equipment used.
- Then, add an egg and the honey, and mix it shortly again with the mixer until smooth.
- Mix the sifted flour, baking powder, ground dried ginger, ground clove, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl.
- Add the aromatic flour mixture to the butter mixture and knead for no more than a minute until a smooth dough forms. The dough might be a little bit sticky, but don’t worry, after it cools down in the fridge, it will be just fine!
- Wrap the dough with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180 ˚C (Conventional).
- Roll the dough to 5 – 7 mm thickness on the surface, dusted with a bit of flour. You can also roll the dough directly on the baking paper.
- Using your favourite shapes and cookie cutters, cut out the cookies.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and carefully place your cookies on it.
- Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for approximately 5 – 10 minutes, depending on the thickness and softness preferences (see FAQ below). Watch carefully so that they don’t burn!
- Once the cookies are done baking, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool down completely. After that, you can add royal icing to give them a festive appearance. As you can see in the pictures, our cookie cutter is shaped like a gingerbread man and christmasy ornaments, so when we’re pressed for time during the busy Christmas season, we skip the decorating step. :)
- Store your delicious cookies in an airtight container.
Gingerbread Cookies FAQs:
- Should they be hard or soft? Gingerbread cookies can be either, depending on baking time — shorter baking time for softer cookies, and longer for harder ones.
- What is the difference between gingerbread and ginger cookies? Gingerbread is typically more heavily spiced and often used for shaped cookies, while ginger cookies are generally round and softer.
- Why called ‘ginger’? They’re named for their distinct ginger flavour.
- What if you don’t chill the dough? Not chilling the dough can result in cookies that spread too much and lose their shape.
- Why are my cookies crunchy? Overbaking is the usual cause of overly crunchy gingerbread cookies.
- Why do they taste so good? The combination of spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves creates a warm, comforting flavour profile.
Bon Appetite and Happy Holidays!
