With the magic vibe of the festive season already in the air, we thought to sweeten things a little with a savory dessert. And we must admit that there is no Christmas without the irresistible scent of the famous gingerbread cookies. A mixture of alluring, luxurious spices and a real delight for your taste buds!
Therefore, arm yourself with all the necessary ingredients and tools, and let’s get to work. Gingerbread cookies are so easy to make and are extremely mouthwatering. Besides, you have so many different possibilities to decorate and have fun in the kitchen while preparing these delicious treats. Put your creativity to the test and make funny gingerbread men, whimsical stars and lovely hearts. Or, for those of you who are more skilful, a gingerbread house can indeed be a beautiful masterpiece.
Ingredients
600g all-purpose flour
200g unsalted butter, softened
200g dark-brown sugar
75ml molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 180°C. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until obtaining a fluffy, creamy texture. Add the egg and the molasses and beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract, and gradually add this mixture to the molasses mix.
Next, divide the dough in half and cover separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until firm (for about 2 hours). When ready to bake, take the dough from the fridge. If it is not soft enough to roll, leave it at room temperature for about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 5mm thickness.
Use cookie cutters and cut out different shapes – gingerbread men, snowflakes, hearts, stars. Place the cookies on baking sheet about 2.5 cm apart. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until firm to the touch and light golden on edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
And now comes the fun part! Decorate your Christmas gingerbread cookies when cool with royal icing, candies, colored sugar and sprinkles. For the royal icing, mix one large egg, 165g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and some coloring. Make the icing only when you are ready to use it as it dries quickly.
Credit: Thinkstock Photos
