Gingerbread cookies are one of my favourite things to bake at Christmas. They’re so easy! My daughter and I always bake a few batches of gingerbread cookies, and one of our great Christmas traditions is to build a gingerbread house. This recipe doesn’t use molasses (or black treacle) but does use golden syrup and is delicately spiced with ginger and nutmeg.
Other than the chilling time, these cookies are really quick to make, taking just 10 minutes to bake. You can also double the mixture and freeze some dough so you have some ready to go when you need to bake gingerbread.
What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Gingerbread Cookies?
To make these easy gingerbread cookies you will need unsalted butter, light brown sugar, golden syrup, plain flour, ginger, nutmeg, bicarbonate of soda.
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Easy Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Cookie Cutters of Your Choice
- Baking Sheet
- Greaseproof Paper
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 75 grams unsalted butter
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 100 grams golden syrup
- 225 grams plain flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Instructions
- Prepare two baking sheets with greaseproof paper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan melt together the butter, light brown sugar and golden syrup, mixing together well.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, ginger, nutmeg and bicarbonate of soda.
- Pour the melted butter, sugar and golden syrup mixture over the flour and mix to combine. It should cool slightly as you combine the ingredients to form a dough.
- Sprinkle some flour into your work surface and roll out your dough. Cut out your shapes using cookie cutters of your choice and put the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. 20 minutes in, preheat your oven to 170º C.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until golden brown, and then remove from the oven and allow to cool before decorating or eating.
Recipe Variations
This recipe adds a small amount of bicarbonate of soda, but if you leave this out you’ll get firmer gingerbread which is perfect for building gingerbread houses or Christmas decorations.
Why not make an advent calendar from gingerbread? Cut out 24 cookies, poke a hole in, bake and then hang them together. Here are some tips on how to ice cookies (like a pro)!
Why Do You Need to Chill The Cookie Dough?
It’s important to chill the cookie dough before baking for a number of reasons. Chilled dough won’t spread as much in the oven, meaning your cookies will hold their shape better. Also when chilled dough bakes, the moisture evaporates and helps to improve the texture of the cookies. It means that you can have a tea break while baking, too!
How Long Do These Cookies Store?
Stored in an air tight container, these gingerbread cookies should last for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cookies – simply pop them in a tub and they should keep for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw out before eating – they should take about an hour. This is a great tip if you want to make a batch of these cookies for an event eg Christmas – you can have some baked and frozen, ready to decorate when you need them.
Some more cookie recipes you may like:
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Honey and Lavender Shortbread Cookies
