Christmas brings the joy of baking, and what better way to celebrate than with homemade gingerbread cookies? Even for someone who loves cooking but doesn’t often venture into baking, these delightful cookies are simple enough to master. With their charming appearance and delicious flavor, this gingerbread cookie recipe is sure to bring holiday cheer!
**Ingredients (makes about 50 cookies):**
- 300g wheat flour
- 100g rye flour
- 100g honey
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 130g confectioners sugar
- 100g butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice (recipe follows)
You can either purchase ready-made gingerbread spice or easily create your own. To prepare my gingerbread spice, I mixed the following spices:
This recipe will yield more spice than you need, allowing you to store the extras for your next baking adventure.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). To make the dough, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. You can use a stand mixer or mix by hand; I prefer the latter as it gives you more control. The dough may get a little sticky, so don’t hesitate to sprinkle flour on both the dough and your rolling pin as you roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. Choose your favorite cookie cutters— I opted for Christmas tree and gingerbread man shapes, which are easily found in many stores. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, spacing the cookies about 1.5 inches apart, and bake for 8-9 minutes. Once baked, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before decorating.
As I’m not an artist, I kept my cookie decorations simple. I used red icing to give my gingerbread men little smiles— some turned out a bit quirky! For their eyes and buttons, I opted for pearlized white sugar, while the Christmas trees were adorned with white icing.
For the white icing, I sifted 1 cup of confectioners sugar and blended it with one egg white. Using a spoon, I drizzled the icing over the cookies and allowed them to dry for a few minutes.
In fact, I doubled this recipe and ended up with a delightful batch of 100 cookies. They pair beautifully with a warm glass of milk! Enjoy your festive baking, and happy holidays!
