Easy Gingerbread Cookies
Classic gingerbread cookies are spiced with cinnamon and all things nice! These delicious simple sugar cookies are simply decorated with yummy royal icing.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 170 g unsalted butter softened
- 350 g brown sugar
- 160 g molasses see notes
- 1 large egg 50-55g
- 14 g vanilla extract
- 490 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper optional
- 1 orange zested
Cookie Icing
- 500 g powdered sugar icing sugar
- 60 g egg whites about two large eggs
- 20 g milk or water see notes
- 28 g corn syrup glucose syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or extract/essence of your choice (optional)
- Food gel coloring or liquid food coloring for pastel colors (optional)
Instructions
Cookies
- Beat sugar, butter and egg - Add the butter, brown sugar and molasses into a bowl and use a handheld mixer to beat until well combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Finish dough - To a separate mixing bowl add the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, pepper (optional, baking powder and orange zest. Use a whisk to combine. Add half the mixture to the butter mixture and mix using a spatula. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and a dough forms. Place on top of some plastic wrap and wrap up. Place in the fridge to chill for one hour.
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 355F (fan off), 160C / 320F (fan on). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Roll dough - Take the dough out of the fridge and unwrap. Dust the workbench with some flour and roll out to about 1/2cm in thickness.
- Cut cookies out - Use your cookie cutters of choice to cut out whichever shapes you like. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes.
Cookie Icing
- To make icing - Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add the egg whites, milk and corn syrup and use a spatula to combine until smooth. Don’t mix beyond that or your icing will have air bubbles in it.
- To make thicker or thinner - to make thinner add a little splash of milk, about 5g or 1 tsp at a time. To make thinner, add 25g / 2 tbsp of powdered sugar at a time and mix using a spatula until you get a spreadable consistency. Thicker icing is great for really detailed work. It doesn’t sink back into the rest of the icing as easily.
- To color icing - split into smaller mixing bowls. Use food gel coloring (not liquid food coloring) and mix to desired color.
- To pipe - Add to a piping bag and snip off a small bit at the end. To make detailed shapes with icing, pipe a perimeter of icing then fill in with more icing. For really detailed shapes, fit the end of your piping bag with a very small round piping tip. Let the icing dry on the cookies for 24 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
Storage - Gingerbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Molasses - This is what gives brown sugar it’s flavour. In this recipe it helps deepen the colour of the cookie but also helps give it a slightly chewy texture.
Royal icing - Yeah, this recipe has raw egg white in it. Generally, in most countries raw egg white is ok to use. If you wish not to use raw egg white, replace it with 1 tbsp meringue powder and add 3-4 tbsp room temperature water.
Storage - Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on per cookie
A note on measurements – This recipe uses weight measurements for the most accurate results. Cup measurements can vary depending on where you are, which affects the precision needed for a recipe like this. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition
Calories:235kcal | Carbohydrates:46g | Protein:2g | Fat:5g | Saturated Fat:3g | Polyunsaturated Fat:0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat:1g | Trans Fat:0.2g | Cholesterol:18mg | Sodium:52mg | Potassium:129mg | Fiber:1g | Sugar:33g | Vitamin A:161IU | Vitamin C:2mg | Calcium:29mg | Iron:1mg
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