Gingerbread cookies - recipe and variations, expert advice
Gingerbread cookies, the recipe for which can be found in different variations, is a must-have attribute of the winter holidays. It is also called Christmas (New Year's) gingerbread because the traditional recipe combines a lot of honey, herbs and spices. Sweets are served with tea, decorate or a Christmas tree, and also presented to friends and guests. In stores you can find cookies for every taste, but it is much better to bake them yourself, decorate with icing and inscriptions.
Basic gingerbread cookie recipe for every occasion
Ingredients and preparation
For the gingerbread, you will need special baking tins, which are sold at many hardware stores and supermarkets. It can be little men, Christmas trees, stars, horses or symbols of the coming New Year.
Also prepare the products according to the list:
- 250 g wheat flour;
- butter (70 g), which must be warmed to room temperature just before cooking;
- 2 eggs;
- 100 g honey;
- half a teaspoon of baking soda;
- spices to taste: cocoa powder, ground cinnamon and ginger, nutmeg and others.
Classic gingerbread cookies are hard and contain a lot of honey and spices. Once cooked, it can be stored for up to a year.
Test preparation
Preparing the dough for spicy gingerbread cookies is the most crucial step. It is important to take only fresh butter and high-quality honey, since their taste is felt even in the finished product. Spices can be added in any quantity - they are always appropriate in gingerbread.
Preparation process:
- Melt honey and butter to room temperature, stir well. Next, add the eggs and beat the mixture with a mixer or whisk until a thick, homogeneous foam is obtained.
- Combine the mixture with baking soda and spices, stir. Then add flour in small portions, stirring constantly. When it becomes difficult to beat it with a mixer, continue kneading the dough with your hands. It should be viscous, have a thick oily consistency and a shiny surface, and most importantly - not stick to your hands.
- Set aside the finished dough for 30-40 minutes. It should cool slightly and harden due to honey and oil in its composition.
The correct dough for a gingerbread cookie recipe is very thick and holds its shape well. Already at this stage, you can feel the bright aroma of honey and spices, which will be preserved during baking and storage of gingerbread.
Baking stage
If the dough is correct, the gingerbread will cook in 5-10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, prepare the surface for rolling the dough, molds, rolling pin and baking sheet.
Next is the most interesting process, when the dough turns into unusual figures with a bright and rich aroma:
- Roll out the dough on a flat surface, after sprinkling it with flour. To do this, you can use a rolling pin or a glass bottle. The layer should be about 1 cm thick. Large figures, which will then be decorated with glaze and painting, can be left thicker.
- Use shapes to cut out any shapes. The gingerbread dough is very dense, does not spread and holds its shape well, so even small details will be visible in the finished cookie. The dough is not left in the molds during baking, so any number of gingerbread cookies can be cut in one mold.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 5-10 minutes. During this time, you can cut a new portion of the figures. Gingerbread is considered ready when the center remains light and the edges have a subtle golden hue. At this point, remove them from the oven and spread them out on a flat surface until they cool.
Try to place the molds as close to each other as possible. You can roll out the next layer of dough from the scraps, but each time they hold on less and less, and the finished gingerbread can crumble.
Christmas gingerbread cookies in the form of trees, stars, men, animals and toys look great both on the festive table and as decorations. If you take a plastic tube and make holes in the still hot gingerbread cookies, you can secure them to the tree with a cord or tape. Also on sale there are molds for gingerbread houses. They consist of elements that are baked separately and then connected together with a protein glaze.
Recipe without adding eggs
During the fast, you can make aromatic gingerbread cookies without eggs or dairy products. Such baked goods are healthy, tasty and low-calorie, as they are prepared from the simplest products. Use a mixture of 2 cups white wheat flour and 1⁄2 cup wholemeal flour as a base.
Also prepare the following ingredients:
- a third of a glass of water and vegetable oil;
- half a cup of sugar (it is better to take brown cane, but regular white will do as well);
- half a cup of molasses;
- half a teaspoon of salt and soda;
- spices to taste: ginger fresh or dried, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, cloves and others.
Molasses can be substituted for honey and sugar. Combine these components in a 5: 1 ratio and melt in a water bath to a syrup consistency.
Stir liquid and dry ingredients in separate containers, then combine and knead the dough. It should turn out to be firm, but plastic, keep its shape well and not stick to your hands. Then roll it out on a flat surface, cut out figures or circles and send them to the oven for 10 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees. Cool the finished cookies and serve not only for the New Year, but also for no reason.
Swedish gingerbread cookie recipe
Swedish gingerbread cookies (Pepparkakor) are a traditional treat that is prepared all year round. Its recipe has been known since the 15th century, when it was considered a cure for bad mood and fatigue. Today it is always appropriate on the table, on New Year's holidays or on a simple and cozy family tea.
Classic Swedish biscuits are thin, crispy and very aromatic. The main thing in its preparation is the correct dough that does not spread, does not stick and retains patterns well during baking.
It will need simple and affordable ingredients:
- a full glass of brown sugar (can be substituted with white, but cane sugar will add extra flavor);
- 5 tablespoons of molasses - it can also be replaced with a honey-sugar mixture;
- 5 tablespoons of plain water without gas;
- 150 g butter, heated to room temperature;
- 3 cups flour and a little more to sprinkle on the table while rolling out the dough;
- a teaspoon of baking soda;
- spices to taste - cinnamon, ginger and carnation.
You can also make gingerbread cookies without baking soda. It loosens the dough, making it softer and more airy. However, biscuits without this component are also fresh and tasty.
The dough is prepared in several stages. It is better to prepare it a day in advance, so that it has time to infuse.Before tea drinking, it is enough to put it in the oven for 10 minutes and serve fresh and crispy cookies to the table.
Dough preparation process
Bring the sugar, water and molasses mixture to a boil. As soon as the first bubbles appear on the surface, remove the container from the heat.
Add butter and spices, stir and leave to cool.
When the liquid has cooled to room temperature, add flour and baking soda. It is better to add flour gradually, constantly stirring the dough. As a result, it should knead well with your hands, not stick or crumble.
Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for a day.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. At the same time, roll out the dough on any flat surface, cut out the cookies with molds or glasses and place them on a baking sheet. Cookies are cooked for no more than 10 minutes, until the edges acquire a light golden hue.
Traditional Swedish biscuits are made without honey. However, at home you can add it for flavor or even replace sugar entirely.
Cookies are stored for a long time and do not deteriorate at room temperature, so they can be cooked in any quantity.
Cookie decoration
Gingerbread cookies can become not just a dessert, but also a decoration, a gift, a greeting card. Ready-made gingerbread cookies have a dark brown hue and a heterogeneous structure, so they should be decorated with glaze, painting or drawings. For each case, a separate color scheme is selected. White lace, red and green colors are suitable for Christmas. For Easter, choose light pastel shades, but simple white painting will also work.
There are several ways to decorate gingerbread cookies:
- filling the entire surface of the gingerbread with glaze, on top of which is painted with chocolate;
- small patterns in white or contrasting shades on a neutral brown background;
- inscriptions, congratulations, drawings;
- additional decorations - sprinkles, dragees, candied fruits and other decorations to taste.
A simple and budget option for decorating cookies is protein icing. It turns out to be completely white, but its shade can be easily changed by adding a few drops of dye.
In addition to the decorative function, it evens the surface of the gingerbread, and it is easier to depict patterns and inscriptions on it. To completely cover the cookie, place it on a flat surface, draw a small amount of frosting into a syringe or bag and apply it first along the outline and then fill in the middle. It will drain evenly around the edges and harden in a few hours. If there are no tools available, the glaze can be easily applied with a regular spoon or Chinese stick.
For patterns, you can additionally purchase chocolate icing or chocolate. Melt it in a water bath, put it in a syringe and create any patterns. These can be points, waves, straight lines, or inscriptions. This stage will be final in the design, but not the fastest - decorating each cookie with drawings is not easy, especially for beginners. The chocolate hardens in 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator, after which the cookies can be folded into gift wrapping.
So that the icing does not interrupt the taste of gingerbread too much and looks appropriate, the dough should be rolled out in a thick layer. In addition, this way the cookies will withstand even heavy and dense decorations.
Gingerbread cookie - icing recipe
The simplest icing is made from powdered sugar and egg white. For 1 protein, take 200-250 g of powdered sugar and 1 spoon of lemon juice. You can also prepare food coloring in the form of a gel - it will give the glaze any shade.
She prepares in a few minutes:
- beat the egg white with a fork or whisk;
- add powdered sugar and stir until smooth;
- add lemon juice and color if necessary.
The density of the glaze can be adjusted. If you need a thicker consistency to draw dots and crisp lines, add more powdered sugar.To evenly coat the cookies, it is better to use a thinner icing - it will drain better and form a smooth mirror surface. Decorate the gingerbread cookies immediately after making the frosting by placing it in a bag, syringe, or using a spoon. Over time, it will begin to thicken, and you will not be able to use it for decoration.
There is also an easier way to make a smooth, smooth gingerbread frosting. It only needs two components: icing sugar and water. Gradually add water to the powder in small portions and stir constantly. When the mixture becomes viscous, it can be applied to the gingerbread cookies in an even layer.
Decoration options
On the Internet, you can find master classes, where step by step it is described how to decorate different figures with glaze. Before cooking, you can see the decoration options and implement them in your own kitchen. It is enough to remember that thick lines, convex points and waves are best drawn with chocolate, and a flat surface will be obtained due to protein or sugar glaze. Also try using a regular paint brush and a few shades of dyes and create unusual designs with your own hands.
Tips & Tricks
Each housewife should write down the recipe for gingerbread cookies in all proportions that the family will like the most. These can be simple gingerbread cookies without decorations or bright gingerbread cookies with icing and drawings.
There are some tips on how to prepare delicious and aromatic sweets, to please family and guests with fresh baked goods:
- Don't be afraid to add too much spice. They are appropriate in the recipe in any quantity and will not spoil the taste.
- Follow the proportions in the recipes, but also trust your own feelings. Sometimes you need to add more flour or water.
- Use your imagination. A curly-bottomed cup or glass can make unusual cookie shapes.
- A properly prepared dough is the key to delicious gingerbread. It should be dense and shiny.
Gingerbread will become a real decoration of the New Year's table or an unusual decoration. They can be gifted to friends and unexpected guests as a nice souvenir. Vibrant figurines and simple round cookies are equally delicious, exude a spicy aroma and awaken the appetite. These sweets are appropriate at any time of the year, since they are perfectly stored, do not spoil and are perfect for tea or coffee.