Gingerbread Cookies
This recipe is perfect for making with little kids or big kids! Every year making these
beautifully spiced biscuits makes it feel like Christmas for me, I always enjoy decorating them and giving them to friends and family. As the Christmas of 2020 is going to be a little different, making these cookies and dropping them over to the loved ones you can't see this year will be a nice little reminder that you are thinking of them.
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 30-35 cookies approx. 6cm x 3cm each
125g Salted Butter, Room Temperature
70g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
85g Golden Syrup
1 Egg, Room Temperature
310g Gluten Free Plain Flour (I use Dove's Farm)
3g Xanthan Gum (Dove's Farm)
1 tbsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
Method:
Beat the butter, sugar, and golden syrup together until just combined in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment.
Add egg and beat it until evenly distributed.
Sift all the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing until just comes together. Be careful to not over mix as that will result in tough biscuits that crack when baked.
To speed up the cooling process, divide the dough in two. Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking parchment, using two rulers (approx. ½ cm) the same height as they make a great level. Rest the ends of the rolling pin on the rulers to get it perfectly level.
Put the dough on a tray and chill for 40 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
Cut out cookies using lightly dusted cookie cutters. Bake on a tray lined with baking parchment for 8-12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. They should be lightly golden and evenly puffed up.
Store biscuits in an airtight container once cool.
Tip: By using the baking parchment instead of flour, the biscuits are less likely to become dry and can be re rolled a few times so ideal for little kids.
Note: This dough is suitable for freezing, make sure to let the dough to defrost overnight in the fridge or add an extra few minutes onto baking when
Gingerbread Cookies (Not Gluten Free)
Makes 30-35 cookies approx. 6cm x 3cm each
125g Salted Butter, Room Temperature
70g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
85g Golden Syrup
1 Egg, Room Temperature
310g Plain Flour
1 tbsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
Method:
Beat the butter, sugar, and golden syrup until just combined together in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment.
Add egg and beat it until evenly distributed.
Sift all the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing until just comes together. Be careful to not over mix as that will result in tough biscuits that crack when baked.
To speed up the cooling process, divide the dough in two. Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking parchment, using two rulers (approx. ½ cm) the same height as they make a great level. Rest the ends of the rolling pin on the rulers to get it perfectly level.
Put the dough on a tray and chill for 40 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
Cut out cookies using lightly dusted cookie cutters. Bake on a tray lined with baking parchment for 8-12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. They should be lightly golden and evenly puffed up.
Store biscuits in an airtight container once cool.
Tip: By using the baking parchment instead of flour, the biscuits are less likely to become dry and can be re rolled a few times so ideal for little kids.
Note: This dough is suitable for freezing, make sure to let the dough to defrost overnight in the fridge.
Royal Icing
Icing for 30-35 cookies
1 Medium Egg White
260g Icing Sugar, Sifted
½ tsp Lemon Juice
Method:
Whisk up egg white until starts to froth up.
Continue whisking and add half of the sifted icing sugar.
Once the first addition of icing sugar is dissolved, add the lemon juice and the rest of the icing sugar.
Keep whisking until gets thicker. To check the consistency, use a teaspoon of icing and drizzle it over the bowl and it should hold lines of icing for 5 seconds.
To colour: use gel icing as the colour is more concentrated and won’t affect the texture of the icing.
Use piping bags to pipe dots or line decorations, adding sprinkles or sweets while the royal icing hasn’t fully set.
Store iced cookies in a biscuit tin for up to 5 days.
Tip: If the Royal icing is too thick, you can always add a little more lemon juice to thin out the consistency of the icing to make it easier to pipe with.
Happy baking! x