Gingerbread Cookies
By Joe
Source: King Arthur Baking — PJ Hamel, Gingerbread Cookies.
Rolled gingerbread cut-outs with a warm molasses dough, chilled until firm, then baked just until the edges colour.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Warm the butter and spices. Warm the butter with the brown sugar, molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice or cloves in a small pan over a low flame, or in short bursts in the microwave. Tip the mixture into a bowl and, once it is only just warm, beat the egg through it.
- 2
Add the flour and chill. Stir the baking powder and bicarbonate into the flour, then fold that into the molasses bowl. Expect a soft, sticky dough; extra flour will only toughen it, and time in the fridge will firm it up. Split it into two pieces, flatten each into a chubby rectangle, wrap, and chill for at least an hour, until the dough is properly cold.
- 3
Roll and cut. Heat the oven to 175°C. The trays need no grease; a sheet of paper is only for easier clearing up. Roll one piece at a time on a floured worktop to 3–6 mm (the thinner the roll, the crisper the bake). If it clings, dust both faces, or roll it between paper and a sheet of film. Stamp out shapes with a floured cutter, nestle them close to cut down on scraps, and move them to the trays.
- 4
Bake. Bake for 8–12 minutes, until the rims are just taking colour and the biscuits feel set. Leave them on the trays for a couple of minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack. Roll, cut and bake the second piece the same way. Ice them only once they are cold, if you want to.
Storage
Keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for about a week, or freeze the baked cookies or well-wrapped dough.
Free sugars
9.6 g per serving
19.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 38.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- saucepan
- mixing bowl
- rolling pin
- cookie cutters
- baking trays
- cooling rack
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 119 kcal |
| Protein | 1.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 19.4 g |
| of which sugars | 9.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 9.6 g |
| Fat | 4.1 g |
| of which saturates | 2.5 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 0.26 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.3 g High protein needs ≥ 5 g per 100 kcal (20% of energy) and ≥ 10 g per serving
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
