Master class: preparing ginger cookies. How to make gingerbread cookies. Traditional Christmas Cookie Recipe

Gingerbread dough for gingerbread cookies - a classic recipe

There are a huge variety of recipes, but the one you read below is a classic. The cookies will turn out perfectly smooth, beautiful and incredibly tasty.

The dough holds its shape. There will be no cracks on the baking surface, which is the most important thing.

Ingredients:

• granulated sugar – 500 grams;
• hot water – 200 ml;
• butter – 200 grams;
• soda – ½ tsp;
• salt – 1 tsp. without slide;
• grated ginger – 1 tsp;
• cinnamon – 2 tsp. without slide;
• nutmeg, allspice, cardamom - on the tip of a teaspoon;
• egg;
• flour – 850 grams;
• honey – 1 tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Place granulated sugar in a thick-bottomed saucepan and turn on the heat. Wait until the bottom layer begins to melt and melt the sugar further, stirring it constantly with a spatula. Once the caramel turns a nice amber color, remove the pan from the heat.
2. Pour boiling water into it while stirring constantly. You will get a dark syrup that is uniform in consistency. Put butter in it. It must first warm up to room temperature.
3. Return the saucepan to the stove and turn on the heat - let the butter melt completely. Then add salt and your favorite spices. Of course, you can do without them, but then the cookies won’t be as flavorful. Stir the mixture. At the same step, add honey.

Do not forget that honey is a strong allergen. This needs to be taken into account.

1. After adding soda, the mixture will begin to foam. This is fine. Cool it to room temperature and beat in the egg.
2. Start adding pre-sifted flour in parts. First, knead the dough directly in the saucepan, and when it becomes dense enough, on the table. It should be soft and slightly sticky. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate overnight.

By the way! It can be stored in the freezer for 3 months and used if you want sweet baked goods.

1. Cut a small piece of dough and roll it out into a fairly thin layer. It is convenient to use a Teflon mat, but the surface will be perfectly smooth. Now, using cutters, cut out the cookies.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake the cookies directly on the Teflon mat for about 6 - 7 minutes. You don't need to bake longer, otherwise you'll dry out the cookies. If the baked goods are slightly warped, place a wooden cutting board on it. The situation will improve!

The gingerbread cookies hold their shape very well, and the inside is soft and porous. Now all that remains is to decorate your creations. You will find the glaze recipe below.

Decoration options

You can find master classes on the Internet that describe step by step how to decorate different figures with glaze. Before cooking, you can look at decoration options and implement them in your own kitchen.

It is enough to remember that it is better to draw thick lines, convex dots and waves with chocolate, and a smooth surface will be achieved by using protein or sugar glaze. Also try to take a regular painting brush and several shades of dyes and create unusual drawings with your own hands.

Simple gingerbread cookie recipe

If you don’t have time to prepare the classic dough, then you can use a simpler recipe.
You will need:

• flour – 2 cups;
• granulated sugar – 150 grams;
• egg;
• butter – 150 grams;
• soda – 1 tsp;
• cinnamon powder – 1 tsp;
• grated ginger – 1 tsp;
• egg white – 1 piece;
• powdered sugar;
• lemon juice – 1 tsp;
• food colorings.

Preparation:

1. The butter needs to be warmed to room temperature. It should become soft. In principle, you can use the microwave. Just keep an eye on him all the time.
2. Mix butter with sugar and egg. Then add baking soda, ginger and cinnamon to the mixture. You can add a little honey. Mix the ingredients until not a single lump remains.
3. Add flour and knead the dough. Wrap it in film and place it in the refrigerator for an hour.
4. When the time is up, roll it out into a layer approximately 4 - 5 mm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out different cookies. It all depends on your imagination.
5. Cover a baking sheet with parchment and lay out the figures. They should be baked at 190°C for 5 minutes.

Please note that the cookies will increase slightly in size during baking, so leave some space between them.

We determine readiness by appearance: the dough has browned and turned brown. That's it, it's time to get it out.

Now let's prepare the glaze

1. Mix the egg white with powdered sugar and lemon juice. If you want to get different colors, use food coloring.
2. Beat the mixture with a mixer until thick foam. It shouldn't spread.

Apply the finished glaze to the surface of the cookies and leave it to harden.

Cookie Decoration

Gingerbread cookies can become not just a dessert, but also a decoration, a gift, or a greeting card. Ready-made gingerbread cookies have a dark brown tint and a heterogeneous structure, so they should be decorated with icing, painting or drawings. A separate color scheme is selected for each occasion. White lace, red and green colors are suitable for Christmas. For Easter, you should choose light pastel shades, but a simple white painting will also work.

There are several ways to decorate gingerbread cookies:

• filling the entire surface of the gingerbread with icing, on top of which painting is done 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-friendly option for decorating cookies is protein glaze. It turns out completely white, but its shade can easily be changed by adding a few drops of dye.

In addition to its decorative function, it evens out the surface of the gingerbread, making it easier to depict patterns and inscriptions on it. To completely cover the cookies, place them on a flat surface, put a small amount of icing in a syringe or bag and apply it first along the outline, and then fill in the middle. It will flow evenly around the edges and harden in a few hours. If there are no tools, the glaze can be easily applied with a regular spoon or Chinese stick.

For patterns, you can additionally purchase chocolate glaze or chocolate. Melt it in a water bath, put it in a syringe and create any patterns. These can be dots, waves, straight lines or inscriptions. This stage will be the final stage 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 put into gift wrapping.

So that the glaze does not overpower the taste of the gingerbread 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 cookies - frosting recipe

The simplest glaze 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 gel form - it will give the glaze any shade.

It 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 coloring if necessary.

The thickness of the glaze can be adjusted. If you need a thicker consistency to create dots and crisp lines, add more powdered sugar. To evenly cover the cookies, it is better to use a thinner glaze - it will flow better and form a smooth mirror surface. Decorate the gingerbread cookies immediately after preparing the glaze by placing it in a bag or syringe, or using a spoon. Over time, it will begin to thicken and cannot be used for decoration.

There is an easier way to prepare an even, smooth glaze for gingerbread cookies. It only requires two ingredients: powdered 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.

Ginger Cinnamon Cookies

Gingerbread cookies with cinnamon are a very tasty and appetizing delicacy. Baked goods prepared according to this recipe turn out to be an attractive coffee color and have an original aroma. And, of course, incredibly tasty.

The secret additive in the form of kefir will make the dough crumbly and airy. Cookies can be decorated not only with icing, but also with crushed nuts, melted chocolate and candied fruits.

You will need:

• butter - pack;
• kefir - a glass;
• flour - 4 cups;
• salt – ½ tsp;
• soda – ½ tsp;
• ginger shavings – 2 tsp;
• cinnamon – 2 tbsp;
• granulated sugar - half a glass.

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil until it becomes soft. Put soda in it, add salt and pour 3 cups of flour. Mix all ingredients to form crumbs.
2. Pour kefir into it, add the remaining flour and all the ginger. Knead elastic dough.
3. Roll it out into a layer 5 mm thick. Grease its surface with butter. Then sprinkle with cinnamon and granulated sugar.
4. Wrap the dough into a tight roll and cut into pieces 1 cm thick.
5. Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 200°C for about 20 - 25 minutes until they get a beautiful coffee color.

Let it cool and cover with glaze.

Recipe without adding eggs

During Lent, you can make fragrant ginger cookies without eggs or dairy products. Such baked goods are healthy, tasty and low in calories, as they are prepared from the simplest ingredients. As a base, take a mixture of 2 cups white wheat flour and half a cup of wholemeal flour.

Also prepare the following ingredients:

• a third of a glass of water and vegetable oil;
• half a cup of sugar (it is better to use brown cane sugar, but regular white will do);
• half a cup of black molasses;
• half a teaspoon each of salt and soda;
• spices to taste: fresh or dried ginger, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, cloves and others.

Molasses can be replaced with honey and sugar. Combine these components in a 5:1 ratio and melt in a water bath until the consistency of syrup.

Mix liquid and dry ingredients in separate containers, then combine and knead the dough. It should be hard, but flexible, hold its shape well and not stick to your hands. Then roll it out on a flat surface, cut out shapes or circles and place them in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees. Cool the finished cookies and serve not only for the New Year, but also for any reason.

Gingerbread with glaze: recipe with honey for the New Year

A proven recipe for traditional Christmas gingerbread cookies made from shortcrust pastry with butter. Frosting for cookies can be prepared to your taste: chocolate, fruit or the simplest of powdered sugar.

What to buy:

• 300 g wheat flour + flour for seasoning the dough when rolling;
• 150 ml honey;
• 50 g powdered sugar;
• 50 g butter;
• 1 egg;
• 1 tsp. baking powder;
• 1 tsp. vanilla sugar;
• 1 tbsp. l. grated ginger;
• 2 tablespoons of candied orange peel.
• Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar;
• 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice.

Yield: about 40 gingerbread cookies

How to bake gingerbread with honey for the New Year - step-by-step recipe with photos:

Chop the orange zest very finely. Mix softened butter with flour, powdered sugar and honey. Add baking powder, egg, spices and chopped orange zest.

Knead the shortbread dough for gingerbread cookies and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll it out lightly, the cake should be about 0.5 cm (the thinner the dough, the heavier the gingerbread). To prevent the dough from sticking to the board, be sure to sprinkle flour on your work surface.

Photo: New Year's gingerbread

Cut out gingerbread cookies as desired into circles, hearts, squares or special cookie cutters. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for about 10-12 minutes.

To make the gingerbread glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, add lemon juice and stir. Warm the mixture slightly.

If the glaze is too thin, add more sugar; if it is too thick, add juice. Decorate the gingerbread cookies with the prepared glaze.

Homemade gingerbread with icing

Tips: Shortbread dough for gingerbread must be refrigerated for some time, since it is easier to roll it out when cooled.

Tips and tricks

Every housewife should write down a recipe for gingerbread cookies with all the proportions that the family will like best. These can be simple gingerbread cookies without decorations or bright gingerbread cookies with glaze and designs.

There are several tips on how to prepare delicious and aromatic sweets and delight your family and guests with fresh baked goods:

1. Don't be afraid to add too much spice. They are appropriate in the recipe in any quantity and will not spoil the taste.
2. Follow the proportions in recipes, but also trust your own feelings. Sometimes you need to add more flour or water.
3. Use your imagination. A cup with a shaped bottom or a glass can become unusual shapes for cookies.
4. Properly prepared dough is the key to delicious gingerbread. It should be dense and shiny.

Gingerbread cookies will become a real decoration for the New Year's table or an unusual decoration. They can be given to friends and unexpected guests as a nice souvenir. Bright figures 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, as they store well, do not spoil, and go perfectly with tea or coffee.