Easy Gingerbread Cookies
Who doesn’t love the smell of warm gingerbread wafting through the house during the holidays? Gingerbread cookies are the celebrities of the holiday dessert table—festive, flavorful, and incredibly photogenic. But if you are feeling daunted by the use of molasses and the tedious processes of traditional recipes, this easy alternative will let you channel your inner baking genius without breaking a sweat! And even if you are not a cookie-decorating pro but simply someone who enjoys cookies (cue the Cookie Monster energy), this recipe is for you.
Gingerbread cookies have been around forever—think medieval Europe forever. Originally (according to the first documented trade of gingerbread biscuits), they were sold in monasteries, pharmacies, and town square farmers’ markets because ginger (and consequently gingerbread) was known to have medicinal properties. Gingerbread men were first attributed to Queen Elizabeth I, who allegedly served the figurines to foreign dignitaries. And all of this had nothing to do with Christmas!
We can only speculate that the warmth of molasses and spices made gingerbread popular during the harsh winter holiday season, but what makes gingerbread cookies so magical? Perhaps it is all about balance! They are spicy but sweet, crumbly yet sturdy enough to hold all our ambitious decorating ideas. That said, despite a few of my photos suggesting the opposite, I do not recommend this recipe for making gingerbread houses. For that, you need to produce a denser, stiffer cake, otherwise known as “construction gingerbread” (think more flour, no rising agents), like this recipe from King Arthur Baking.
My hassle-free recipe, on the other hand, gives you cookies with just the right blend of spices, that perfect snap, and all the holiday vibes! It is quick, easy, and needs only a few ingredients—probably already in your pantry.
Delicious Easy Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- Christmas cookie cutters (stars, trees, gingerbread people)
- ready-to-use cookie/royal icing in any colors you like (typically red, green, white)
- sprinkles & sparkles (grab red, green, and white ones for a festive touch, or edible glitter if you're feeling fancy)
Ingredients
- ½ cup margarine or butter (125 g)
- ⅓ cup + 4 tsp/0.22 lb soft brown sugar (100 g)
- 6 tbsp condensed milk (90 ml)
- 1 cup + 3 tbsp + 1 tsp/0.67 lb plain white flour (300 g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp gingerbread spice mix ground
Instructions
- Heat the butter and sugar in a small pot over low heat, stirring until they melt.
- Add the condensed milk and stir together. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and spices into a bowl.
- Pour in the syrupy mixture. Start by working the ingredients together with a spoon, then, with clean hands, combine them into a soft dough.
- Place the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up and make it easier to roll and cut.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C (320°F/160°C for fan ovens).
- Flour your work surface and roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. It should be about ¼ inches/a little over 6 mm thick. Use your cookie cutters to stamp out your shapes. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and repeat.
- Transfer your cutouts onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 10-15 minutes (15-20 for fan ovens). Keep an eye on them—you want them firm but not browned to the point of no return.
- Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. They’ll firm up as they cool, so resist the urge to start decorating too soon (I know, it’s hard)!
Notes
Εύκολα μπισκότα gingerbread
Equipment
- κουπ πατ για χριστουγεννιάτικα μπισκότα (αστεράκια, δέντρα, ανθρωπάκι gingerbread)
- γλάσο για μπισκότα σε διάφορα χριστουγεννιάτικα χρώματα (κόκκινο, πράσινο, άσπρο – υπάρχει έτοιμο για χρήση σε μπουκαλάκια με σταγονόμετρο/κορνέ)
- βρώσιμα διακοσμητικά (τρούφες, πέρλες, κας κας, βρώσιμο glitter, κρυσταλλική ακατέργαστη ζάχαρη)
Ingredients
- 125 γραμ. βούτυρο ή μαργαρίνη
- 100 γραμ. μαύρη ζάχαρη
- 90 ml ζαχαρούχο γάλα
- 300 γραμ. αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- 1 κουταλάκι του γλυκού μαγειρική σόδα
- 3 κουταλάκια του γλυκού μείγμα gingerbread spice
Instructions
- Σε ένα κατσαρολάκι ζεσταίνετε το βούτυρο με τη ζάχαρη κι ανακατεύετε μέχρι να λιώσει.
- Προσθέτετε το ζαχαρούχο γάλα και αναμειγνύετε καλά.
- Σε άλλο μπολ κοσκινίζετε το αλεύρι με τη σόδα και το μείγμα μπαχαρικών. Προσθέτετε στο αλεύρι τα υγρά υλικά κι ανακατεύετε καλά για να δημιουργήσετε μια ομοιόμορφη ζύμη.
- Βάζετε τη ζύμη στο ψυγείο να σφίξει για 20 λεπτά και την ανοίγετε με πλάστη ανάμεσα σε δύο φύλλα αντικολλητικό χαρτί ψησίματος, σε πάχος περίπου 6 mm.
- Προθερμαίνετε τον φούρνο στους 180 °C (160 °C στον αέρα).
- Κόβετε τα μπισκότα με τα κουπ πατ και τα τοποθετείτε σε αντικολλητικό ταψί. Ψήνετε για 10–15 λεπτά (15–20 λεπτά στον αέρα).
- Τα αφήνετε να κρυώσουν εντελώς πριν τα διακοσμήσετε.
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