Gingerbread Cookies Recipe – Classic Christmas Spice Biscuits

The History of Gingerbread Cookies

• Historians trace gingerbread back to 992, when Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis brought it to Europe. It was an instant success.
• In the 16th century, gingerbread took off in the United Kingdom with the arrival of a man-shaped cookie. The gingerbread man became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England. It also became a character in children’s stories—you’ll spot one in the animated film Shrek.
• Gingerbread cookies come in many shapes: trees, snowflakes, candy canes, and more. Some people even build entire houses from them. Why not try an Empire State Building made of gingerbread?

Ingredients for About 50 Cookies

• 270 g (9.5 oz) flour.
• 115 g (4 oz) organic molasses.
• 115 g (4 oz) light brown sugar.
• 115 g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened but not melted.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped.
• 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger.
• 1 teaspoon orange zest.
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon.
• A generous pinch of ground cloves.
• A generous pinch of ground coriander.
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda.
• 0.5 teaspoon salt.
• 0.25 teaspoon grated nutmeg.
• 3 to 4 black peppercorns, crushed.

Recipe Steps

• 1/ In a food processor, combine the butter, molasses, vanilla extract, orange zest, brown sugar, all the spices, baking soda, and salt. Mix for several minutes until you have a light, fluffy paste. All ingredients should be well combined.
• 2/ Add the flour and continue mixing. Once all the flour is incorporated, knead by hand or in the processor for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth.
• 3/ Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 4/ Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F).
• 5/ Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 6/ Dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough briefly.
• 7/ Roll out a portion of the dough to 3 mm (0.1 in) thick. Dust well with flour as you work.
• 8/ Cut shapes using cookie cutters: trees, gingerbread men, Santa figures, reindeer, or snowflakes.
• 9/ Place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
• 10/ Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. They should feel dry to the touch.
• 11/ Decorate your cookies with green, red, or white icing. You can buy food coloring and ready-to-use icing pens at any grocery store. Add small silver pearls as ornaments or edible gold glitter. Let your creativity shine.
• 12/ Let the icing dry overnight before eating. Enjoy! Tip: Gingerbread cookies keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

Share Your Gingerbread Cookies with Us

• Made your own gingerbread cookies? Post your photos on our Destination New York Facebook group.
• Have a question or a recipe to share? Reach out at patricia@cnewyork.net