Gingerbread cookies recipe

This gingerbread recipe makes the perfect gingerbread cookies for Christmas, New Year or a treat at any time.

Deliciously spicy gingerbread cookies are the perfect winter treat. Not just for Christmas, they are delicious with hot chocolate or mulled wine after a frosty winter walk. Plus, of course, they’re an easy way to get children into baking. This recipe is great for trying with kids, as long as you supervise the butter melting and adding it to the flour mix. The best thing is they only need 10-12 minutes in the oven before they’re done, so there’s hardly any waiting around to eat them. Make the cookies into any shape you fancy - gingerbread men are traditional, but for Christmas we like stars and snowflakes. Once baked, these biscuits can be kept in an airtight container for 3 days.

Ingredients

• 175g soft dark brown sugar
• 90g clear honey
• 60g butter
• 350g plain flour
• 1 level tsp baking powder
• 1 level tsp ground ginger
• 1 level tsp mixed spice
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten

You will need:

• Baking sheets, lined with baking parchment

Method

1. Place the honey, sugar and butter in a pan, and melt over a gentle heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl. Pour in the melted mixture and the egg. Mix well. Knead on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and thoroughly mixed. Keep the dough well-wrapped in a plastic freezer bag until required.
3. To bake, set the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Roll out the gingerbread on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Cut out the shapes and transfer to the lined baking sheets.
4. Bake the pieces in the centre of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they start to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
5. Once cold, the gingerbread pieces may be kept in an airtight container for up to three days. If the pieces are stacked up, place sheets of cardboard between the gingerbread to keep the shapes flat.

Top tips for making gingerbread cookies

Decorating your gingerbread is half the fun, and a brilliant way to get kids involved with festive baking. Use royal icing so that it hardens well. You can buy it pre-made at cookshops or make your own by mixing 1 egg white and a teaspoon of lemon juice with 310g icing sugar. Pipe it onto the cookies using a piping bag fitted with a very fine nozzle and finish with silver balls or mini smarties.

If you want to hang your gingerbread cookies, make a hole in them the moment they come out of the oven, while they are still a bit soft and malleable. We find a narrow straw is the ideal size to make the holes, in order to thread through a small piece of ribbon.

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