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Gingerbread Cookies

A big batch of classic Gingerbread Cookies is the epitome of the holiday season. This homemade recipe is easy, rich and decorated with a 3-ingredient royal icing. With traditional gingerbread spices of cinnamon, ginger and clove. Added maple syrup and molasses makes these cookies flavoursome and morish.
Course Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 3 hours
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 118kcal

Equipment

  • Choice of Christmas cookie cutters
  • Piping bag and small round piping nozzle

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 2 1/2 cups plain all purpose flour or plain all purpose gluten free flour*
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 115 g unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed or coconut sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature (egg weighing approx. 55g-60g in shell)
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 Tbsp plain white vinegar

Royal Icing

  • 1 1/2 cups icing/confectioners sugar
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

Cookies

  • In a mixing bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and baking powder, mix well and set aside.
  • Use the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached or use a large mixing bowl with a hand beater.
  • To the mixer bowl, add softened cubed butter, beat on low speed for a few seconds to break down the butter, making it creamy.
  • Add sugar and beat on medium speed until well combined and creamy, approx. 1 minute.
  • Add egg and beat until light and fluffy.
  • Pour in molasses, maple syrup and white vinegar. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined, approx. 30 seconds, scraping down the sides when needed. 
  • Add half the dry flour mixture, beat until just combined. Add remaining flour and continue beating on low speed until a soft dough begins to form, not a complete dough ball.
  • Turn off mixer and use your hands to incorporate into a dough disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. NOTE: Dough can also be refrigerated overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 190ºC (374ºF). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper, set aside.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator. If it’s too hard to roll out, sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. If dough is too soft, return to refrigerator for 30 minute intervals until firm.
  • Prepare a lightly floured surface/board. Lightly flour your rolling pin.
  • Roll out dough to approx. 3mm-4mm in thickness.
  • Take choice of Christmas cookie cutter and cut out shapes. Place on lined tray. Re-roll excess dough until all used up.
  • Place tray with cookies back into the refrigerator and cool for 15 minutes **see recipe notes for further instruction.
  • Remove from fridge and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges of the cookies.
  • Remove and cool on tray for 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Royal Icing

  • Whilst cookies are cooling, make icing.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, add icing sugar, egg white and lemon juice.
  • Using a hand beater or whisk, beat together until well combined and smooth.

Decorate

  • Prepare a piping bag fitted with a small round piping nozzle, a size 1 or 2 nozzle will work.
  • Fill bag with icing.
  • Pipe icing onto cooled cookies and decorate how you desire. You can outline the cookies or outline and flood the middle with icing. NOTE: If you choose to outline and fill, pipe the outline of the cookie first, let it dry and then fill it in with the icing. This will ensure the icing stays in the lines and doesn’t pour over.
  • Set cookies aside to allow icing to dry.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Store in an airtight container, in the pantry or refrigerated, for 1-2 weeks. *I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. **If you’re making these cookies on a warm humid day, the dough will soften faster when rolling/cutting out cookies. If so, handle dough with care and once shapes are on the tray, refrigerate cookies for longer than the 15 minutes as indicated in the recipe method. Cool them for 15 minutes - 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg