Gingerbread Season. The Cookies
GINGER, CINNAMON & MAGIC DUST. THAT’S WHAT GINGERBREAD SEASON IS ALL ABOUT.
THE GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPE
Gingerbread cookie inspiration comes from traditional tales like the one of the "Gingerbread Man" who famously escapes his pursuers, and from classic holiday themes, like decorating cookies as festive figures. People are also inspired by the creative process itself, enjoying the freedom to decorate with unique designs and by the warm, spiced flavor of the cookies. The source of inspiration can range from nostalgic holiday memories to the joy of creating something beautiful with icing and sprinkles. Make some gingerbread stars to hang from your Christmas tree. This biscuit dough is extremely forgiving if overworked, so it's perfect for baking with children.
Ingredients:
200g salted butter
6 tbsp golden syrup ( For Germany: 4 tbsp honey + 3 tbsp maple syrup )
200g dark muscovado sugar (Or brown Sugar)
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (Or Baking Poweder)
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
450g plain flour
For icing: 100g icing sugar + 4 tbsp iced-cold water & Small Size Pastry
Method:
Step 1
Heat the butter, syrup and sugar together in a small pan until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 2
Mix together the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon and flour in a large bowl. Pour in the buttery syrup mixture and stir to combine, then use your hands to bring together to form a dough. Add up to 1 tbsp of milk to combine if needed. The dough will be soft at this point, but it’ll firm up in the fridge.
Step 3
Put the dough on a sheet of baking parchment, shape into a rectangle, and lay another sheet of parchment on top of it. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½cm. Transfer to a baking sheet to keep it flat, leaving the parchment in place, then chill in the fridge for 45 minutes - 1 hr.
Step 4
Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a large baking sheet with more baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Use the classic gingerbread man, trees, houses, stars and even rqindeers.
Step 5
Place the shapes, spread apart, on the lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 mins. (Depending on the size of the cutters you use, they might need a few minutes more or less cooking in the oven). The colour of the cookies will indicate if they are cooked. Remove and leave to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Step 6
Mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp iced-cold water to create a consistent, thick and pipeable icing that is not too thin, so it will not run. For extra white icing we suggest adding white colour in the mixture. You can also use food colouring for a variety of colours and decoration. Decorate the cooled biscuits with the icing using a piping bag with a thin nozzle. You can also use extra edible Christmas cooking decorations for more Opulent result!
Have Fun!
