Name: Classic Gingerbread Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 100 g honey; 50 g cane sugar; 75 g butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 egg white; 250 g plain, all-purpose wheat flour; 2 level teaspoons baking powder; 1 egg yolk; 1 tablespoon milk; 250 g confectioners' sugar; 1 fresh egg white; 1 - 4 tablespoons lemon juice or water

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Gingerbread is THE Christmas tradition and makes the most delicious Christmas cookies.

Classic Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe by Anna BembryCourse: DessertsCuisine: German, PolishDifficulty: Medium

Servings

baking sheets

Prep time

minutes

Baking time

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Gingerbread is THE Christmas tradition and makes the most delicious Christmas cookies.

Ingredients

Dough
100 g honey
50 g cane sugar
75 g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg white
250 g plain, all-purpose wheat flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
Egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
Royal Icing
250 g confectioners’ sugar
1 fresh egg white
1 – 4 tablespoons lemon juice or water

Method

In a small saucepan combine honey, sugar and butter and heat up over low heat, stirring continuously, until butter and sugar melted. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and allow to cool down completely.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F.
Stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon, and egg white into the honey mixture. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking powder. Add about 2/3 of the flour into the honey mixture and mix, using an electric mixer, fitted with paddles, on medium speed. Add the remaining flour and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. Roll out the dough on a lightly flour dusted workspace and cut out cookies. Place on the baking tray.
Whisk egg yolk and milk. Brush cookies with the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool down on a cooling rack.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually sift the confectioners’ sugar onto the egg white and stir until a smooth, thick, creamy mixture has formed. Add liquid depending on the desired consistency and decorate the cookies.

Notes

As an alternative to the Royal Icing, you can use a simple sugar icing: place 250 g of confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and gradually add water or lemon juice (3 – 4 tablespoons). Mix with a whisk until you get a smooth mixture. The more fluid you want the icing to be, the more water (or juice) you need to add.