My favourite gingerbread cookies

It’s the season everyone! Nothing makes me feel more like Christmas is here than a batch of my favourite gingerbread cookies. I think Christmas baking brings out my inner child more than any other holiday and part of it is because I get to play with my favourite cookie cutters. This is my trusty gingerbread recipe that I have used over the years and let me tell you it never disappoints. I have been tweaking the spices for years in this recipe and I think I have finally found the perfect balance. These are a delicious treat on their own but they also make the perfect decoration for festive treats like the parsnip cupcakes. If you want to get extra creative you can pipe some coloured icing on top of your cookies and give them a bit of character! A batch of these baking in the oven is guaranteed to make your home smell like Christmas.

Ingredients for the gingerbread biscuits 

• Plain flour: All purpose flour is ideal for most cookie recipes
• Spices: The spices I use are cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg which add wonderful warmth to the biscuit.
• Baking soda: The soda tenderizes the cookie dough and makes it crispy.
• Light brown sugar: Gives an extra molasses flavour.
• Butter: The butter needs to be completely softened to room temperature.
• Egg: Same as the butter needs to be at room temperature.
• Black treacle: I absolutely love the slight bitter taste of black treacle and it really compliments the spices. You can also replace with molasses for a slightly sweeter flavour.
• Zest of clementine: The zest of one clementine really compliments the warmth of the spices. You can also use other citrus fruits like lemon and orange. 

Ingredients for the icing

• Icing sugar: To ensure that your icing is lump free, the icing sugar needs to be sieved before the egg whites are added.
• Pasteurised egg whites: To ensure that the icing is safe to eat I always use pasteurised egg whites as it dries much faster than milk. If you can’t get your hands on pasteurised egg whites, use whole milk but let the icing dry for 1 hour.
• Food colours: This is the time to get as creative as you want to be! Use gel colours if you can to avoid making the icing too runny.

For the gingerbread biscuits

• 420g all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp cloves
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 170g softened butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 170g black treacle
• Zest of one clementine

For the royal icing

• 130g icing
• 2-3 tbsp pasteurised egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla

How to make the gingerbread dough

1. In a medium bowl whisk all the dry ingredients together (except the sugar) and set aside.
2. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle (attachment alternatively you can use a mixer and a large mixing bowl), beat the butter and sugar together for two minutes on medium speed until the mix is light and fluffy. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl when needed.
3. Add the egg, black treacle and beat on medium speed until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.
4. Divide the dough into two equal portions, and form them each into a ball. Then gently press each ball with your hands to a 1 inch- thick rectangular, wrap tightly in cling film, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
5. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a tray with parchment paper and set aside.
6. Lightly flour a clean surface and place the dough on top. Use a floured rolling to roll the dough evenly until it is approximately the thickness of a 1 pound coin. Then use your favourite cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes, re-rolling the dough as needed to cut out more. Transfer the cookies to the lined tray making sure to leave a 2cm gap between them. You can also line a second tray and bake the off cuts of your gingerbread dough (*see Notes).
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are crisp around the edges and on the top. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
8. Once the cookies are at room temperature, decorate them with icing (see below) and sprinkles of your choice. Gingerbread biscuits are best served the same day but you can store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

How to make the royal  icing

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. If your icing is a bit too thin add more icing sugar, if your icing is a bit too thick add more egg whites. You can now separate the icing into different bowls and add food colours of your choice.
2. Use a piping bag or a plastic squeeze bottle to pipe the icing onto the cookies.
3. Enjoy 🙂

Notes

• You can bake the off cuts of your gingerbread dough on a separate tray at the same time as your biscuits. After you remove the biscuits from the oven leave the off cut dough in the oven and turn the temperature down to 100°C. Leave the biscuit inside the oven for one extra hour until completely dry. When the biscuit is cooled, place it in a blender and whizz until you achieve a fine powder. You can add the gingerbread powder to hot chocolate, ganaches and even mousses!

Meringue kisses,
Athina xx