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Gingerbread cookies

Christmas Eve Dinner Desserts 150 min Medium 14 wyświetleń ~19.22 PLN - (0)
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Description

Gingerbread cookies are classic, aromatic holiday cookies that are perfect for the Christmas Eve table. They have crispy edges and a soft, slightly chewy interior, infused with spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom, along with a delicate hint of honey and vanilla. The origin of gingerbread cookies dates back to Christmas traditions in Northern and Central Europe — different versions can be found in Poland, Germany, and Scandinavia. Serve them with dried fruit compote, mulled wine, black tea, or as a sweet touch after the Christmas Eve dinner. They are very decorative when covered with icing or dusted with powdered sugar — also perfect for hanging on the Christmas tree (if you bake them thicker and make a hole).

Składniki (14)

Servings:
24
  • Wheat flour 300 g
  • Butter 150 g
  • Brown sugar 120 g
  • Honey 60 ml
  • Egg 1 szt.
  • Baking soda 5 g
  • Ground ginger 4 g
  • Vanilla extract 5 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Ground cinnamon 6 g
  • Ground cloves 2 g
  • Ground cardamom 2 g
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Powdered sugar 50 g
  • Candied orange peel 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~19.22 PLN (0.80 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparation

1

Prepare all the ingredients and tools. Weigh each ingredient on a kitchen scale and set them next to each other. Take the butter and egg out of the fridge for about 30 minutes to let them warm up. Prepare a mixing bowl, measuring cup, grater (if you want to grate the orange zest), mixer with whisk attachments, a countertop or a sheet of baking paper for rolling out, and a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Use a kitchen scale for precision. If you don't have a mixer, use a wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugar; it will take longer (~5-7 minutes by hand).

Cake

2

Cut the butter into small pieces and place them in a large bowl. Beat the butter with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it becomes lighter and creamy. Add the brown sugar to the butter and beat for another 2-3 minutes — the mixture should be fluffy and slightly aerated. If you are doing it by hand, mash the butter with the sugar using a wooden spoon until you achieve a smooth, creamy consistency (about 5-7 minutes).

Ingredients: Butter, Brown sugar
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a flat attachment. The bowl should be dry and clean. Do not beat the butter for too long when it is too soft — it should become creamy, not liquid.
3

Add honey, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar cream. Mix on low speed or vigorously by hand until combined (about 1-2 minutes). The mixture should be uniform, without visible streaks of egg or honey.

Ingredients: Honey, Egg, Vanilla extract
Make sure the egg is at room temperature — this will prevent the mixture from curdling. If the mixture looks very loose, don't worry — we will add the dry ingredients later.
4

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, add baking soda, salt, and all the spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. Mix with a whisk for 20-30 seconds to ensure the dry ingredients are well combined and evenly distributed.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Baking soda, Salt, Ground cinnamon, Ground ginger, Ground cloves, Ground cardamom
Sifting the flour aerates it and helps avoid lumps from the spices. If you don't have a sifter, use a fine mesh strainer.
5

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches (3 times), mixing with a spatula or on the lowest speed of the mixer just until no dry flour is visible — about 30-60 seconds for each added portion. If you are adding candied orange peel, add it now and mix briefly to distribute evenly.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Candied orange peel
Do not mix too long — excessive kneading will result in hard cookies. The ideal dough is compact, moist, and can be shaped.
6

Shape the dough into a circle or rectangle about 2-3 cm thick. Wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes (you can chill it for up to 2 hours). The chilled dough will be easier to roll out and will hold its shape during baking.

If you're in a hurry, place the dough in the freezer for 20-25 minutes, but do not let it freeze completely. The dough should be cool and elastic.

Shaping and baking

7

Preheat the oven to 180°C (top-bottom) or 170°C with convection. Take the dough out of the fridge and wait 3-5 minutes for it to soften slightly (it should still be cold). Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3-4 mm – the paper will prevent sticking. Cut out cookies with cookie cutters; place them on the baking sheet with about 2-3 cm spacing. If you want to hang the cookies on the Christmas tree, make a small hole with a toothpick before baking.

Ingredients: Wheat flour
The best option is a dark metal baking tray or a baking stone; if you are using a non-stick tray, parchment paper will suffice. Cookie cutters of various sizes will work best.
8

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Watch closely – the edges should be slightly golden, while the center remains soft. After baking, leave the cookies on the sheet for 4-5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely (about 20-30 minutes).

Baking time depends on the size of the cookies and the oven — smaller ones bake for about 8-10 minutes; larger ones for 12-14 minutes. Do not bake until they are deeply browned, as the spices may burn and become bitter.

Icing and decoration

9

If you are using icing: sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of water or lemon juice at a time until you reach the desired consistency for decorating (thicker icing for writing and thin outlines, thinner for flooding the surface). Apply the icing with a piping bag or a teaspoon and let it dry for 1-2 hours. You can sprinkle the cookies with a little powdered sugar after they dry or decorate with sprinkles (optional).

Ingredients: Powdered sugar, Candied orange peel
If you want to have perfectly smooth icing, use a small amount of lemon juice and strain the icing through a sieve. Additionally, you can add candied orange peel when decorating.

Serving and storage

10

Serve the cookies after the icing has completely set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days — layers of cookies can be separated with parchment paper. If you want to store them longer, freeze the raw cut-out cookies on a baking sheet for 1 hour, transfer to vacuum bags, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cookies become softer after a few days due to the honey — if you prefer them crunchy, bake a little longer or store them with a piece of bread, which helps prevent excessive hardness.

Fun Fact

💡

Spices were once called 'spices of wealth' — in the Middle Ages, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom were highly valued and used not only in cooking but also as gifts.

Best for

Wigilia Świąteczne przyjęcia Herbaciane popołudnie

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the cookies on a wooden tray with a paper napkin, alongside a compote of dried fruits or a cup of hot tea. For a decorative effect, place a few cookies leaning against a mug of hot chocolate. If you are decorating with icing, let the cookies sit overnight for the flavors to meld.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. To refresh slightly soft cookies, heat them for 5-7 seconds in the microwave or bake for 2-3 minutes at 150°C. Raw, cut-out cookies can be frozen flat for up to 3 months.

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