Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are an international signal that Christmas is coming, and are most loved for their shape. They store fantastically in the freezer, after they are baked. I adore these cookies so much, and am sure I am not alone.
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Last modified:
Gingerbread Cookies:
Equipment: Large gingerbread folks cookie cutter, sized 7.5cm, or a small one, sized 4.5cm
Recipe: 20 Large Cookies, or 50 Small Cookies.
Cookie Dough:
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| All Purpose Flour | 112g |
| Salt | 1/8 tsp |
| Baking Soda | 1/4 tsp |
| Ground Ginger | 1/2 tsp |
| Ground Cinnamon | 1/4 tsp |
| Ground Nutmeg | 1/8 tsp |
| Brown Sugar (Sticky) | 32g |
| Eggs | 8g |
| Softened Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature) | 30g |
| Sweet Molasses (NOT blackstrap) | 42g |
Royal Icing:
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Egg Whites | 11g |
| Lemon Juice | 1/4 tsp |
| Powdered Sugar | 42g |
Preparation instructions:
For the cookies:
- In a food processor, process the butter together with the brown sugar, salt and molasses until creamy. Occasionally scrape the bottom of the container with a spatula, to ensure even mixing.
- Add all of the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pulse until the mixture looks like small peas.
- Add the eggs and pulse until the mixture is moistened.
- Transfer the mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap. Knead the crumbs together using the plastic wrap to help minimize heat transfer into the dough. Place the dough between a large piece of parchment paper and a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll it to a rectangle, 3 mm thickness, and freeze for 10-15 minutes.
- Cut out the shapes, but do not take them out just yet. It’s recommended to freeze the dough again for additional 10-15 minutes, as the dough is very soft and this will help to avoid tearing of the cookies.
- Preheat your oven to 175C (fan mode off), placing a baking rack at the middle shelf inside the oven.
- Transfer the cut cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and evenly space them about 1.5 cm apart.
- Bake for 8 minutes- the cookies should slightly brown around the edges (the smaller cookies take 6 minutes to bake).
- Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
For the royal icing and decoration:
In a small bowl, using an electric handheld mixer, beat all the ingredients on low heat (to prevent the powdered sugar from flying around), then increase the speed to medium, and beat until light and airy mixture, that has a thick liquid consistency. The mixture does not form peaks, but should be flowing down slowly from the beaters.
You can add a tiny bit of gel food coloring, and decorate as you like.
