Gingerbread cookies are a must for me at Christmas! Every time I make them they bring back lots and lots of happy childhood memories from Iceland. As a kid, apart from making cookies, mom and I used to make lovely gingerbread houses with this recipe . . followed by hours of decorating with icing sugar /sugar frosting and other goodies!
Nowadays, I still make the cookies but I normally serve them plain with the homemade Christmas glögg ( mulled red wine) . . . and while nibbling on this delightful Xmas treat I often light a candle and take some time out to reminisce . . . and savor the moment!
Here is the recipe that has always worked for me. Hope it will . . . 4you2!
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp black finely ground pepper
1 tsp baking soda
80 g butter
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup dark corn syrup
¼ cup lukewarm water
Preparation Method
In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, clover, ginger pepper and baking soda. Mix well.
Cut butter into flour mixture and mix with a fork or pastry blender. Add sugar, dark corn syrup and water and stir until dough forms.
Shape cookie dough into a ball and then wrap with plastic foil (or place in sealed plastic bag). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Once ready to bake, remove dough from refrigerator and knead a little. Divide dough into 2 – 4 equal parts and place on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of dough with flour and roll out into thickness of liking. If you prefer, you may also roll out the dough directly onto parchment (baking) paper.
Using a cookie cutter of choice, cut out cookies. Remove excess dough and place cut out cookies on a baking sheet . . . always covered with parchment (baking) paper . . . and bake in pre-heated oven 175 ̊C (375 ̊F) for 8 – 12 minutes, depending on thickness of cookie. For really crisp cookies you might need another 2 – 3 minutes of baking . . . but be careful not to burn them!!!
Cool cookies on baking racks and then store them in an airtight containers or deep freeze until ready to use.
Yield: The number of cookies will always depend on the size and shapes you decide to use. This year I got 67 thin cookies from this recipe but they are really thin!
Tips!
For the decoration of the cookies . . . . the simplest thing to do is to mix confectioners' (icing) sugar with a little milk or water to make a smooth but not too runny consistency. Then add any food coloring you like, as much as needed to create desired hues, and start piping away!
I recommend you take a look at this link with many good tips on how to decorate your cookies with icing sugar!
©KaritasM – December 2017