Gingerbread cookies (Gingerbread): the recipe for spicy men – Tale Of Travels

I Ginger biscuitsalso called Ginger biscuitsI am Biscotti Christmas spicy usually does a made of gingerbread man (originally they were actually called gingerbread man) but which can become reindeer, fir trees or stars depending on the Christmas mold chosen. Of Anglo-Saxon origin, these biscuits have an ancient history: in fact, it seems that they were born from an idea of ​​Queen Elizabeth I, to then become part of the North European tradition, becoming one quintessential Christmas symbols. .

Known and appreciated all over the world, they are characterized by a soft texture and with an intense perfume of spices: the dough is actually flavored with ginger and cinnamon powderthat give gingerbread cookies a strong and unmistakable taste that conquers everyone from the first bite.

The preparation is really very simple and only requires a pinch of dexterity: once the little men have been made with the special mould, they are baked in the oven for a few minutes then decorated with the Royal icing, a mixture made from egg whites, icing sugar and lemon juice, which you can choose to leave white, as in our case, or to color with powdered or gel food coloring. The original recipe also includes the use of molassesa derivative of sugar that gives cookies their typical flavor dark colorbut we chose to replace it with the honeyedwhich has a similar texture but a milder flavor.

Ideal for serving breakfast oh to taste with a cup of hot tea or hot chocolate, the gingerbread cookies will keep for about a week, so they are also perfect as gifts, to use as decoration to hang on the tree or to embellish a centerpiece with the gingerbread house. Find out how to make them with our easy recipe, and if you like spicy flavors, also try Lebkuchen, German Christmas cookies, or Pepparkakor, typical Swedish ginger cookies.

How to make gingerbread cookies

The manufacture of gingerbread cookies is divided into three phases: the preparation of the dough, the preparation of the royal icing and finally the decoration of the men. Let’s see each in detail.

How to make gingerbread dough

For the preparation of the gingerbread cookie dough, start by pouring the flour into a mixing bowl 1.

Then add the brown sugar 2.

Mix the teaspoon of baking soda 3.

Stir with a spoon to mix the powders 4.

Now flavor with cinnamon 5.

And the ginger 6.

Stir again seven.

At this point, add the cold butter cut into pieces 8.

Start kneading with your fingertips until you get a sandy dough 9.

Then add the egg ten.

And the honey 11.

Briefly knead the dough first in the bowl then on a work surface, just long enough to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough 12.

Wrap the dough in a sheet of transparent film and leave to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes 13: this step is essential so that you can then roll out the dough easily, preventing it from crumbling.

After half an hour, take the bread and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about 5-7mm thick. 14.

With the appropriate cookie cutter, cut out the gingerbread men 15, kneading scraps from time to time until dough is done. If you want to make cookies to hang on the Christmas tree, poke a small hole in the men’s heads using a straw so they can be tied with colored ribbon.

Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 16 and bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes.

Once golden, take them out and let them cool completely. 17.

How to make royal icing

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the royal icing: pour the egg white into a bowl 18.

Beat quickly with a hand whisk 19.

When bubbles begin to form on the surface, add a spoonful of icing sugar, stirring constantly 20.

After a few seconds, add another spoonful of sugar and continue mixing 21.

Continue like this until you run out of sugar. 22.

Finally add the lemon juice 23.

Mix vigorously until smooth and shiny 24.

How to decorate gingerbread men

The last step is to decorate the cookies. Pour the royal icing into a dip tube 25 or inside a pocket bag with a small spout.

Decorate the gingerbread men as you see fit: we chose a simple design, making the eyes, mouth and buttons 26but you can give space to creativity and design clothes, ties or details that you prefer.

After decorating, let the icing set completely 27: just leave the cookies at room temperature for a few hours.

Your gingerbread cookies are ready to enjoy, give as gifts or use as decoration 28.

Advise

To make the dough even more aromatic, you can add, in addition to ginger and cinnamon, too Nutmeg, cloves e cardamom.

storage

Gingerbread cookies can be stored in a cookie pan or tin at room temperature for at least 1 week. You can also prepare the dough a day ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it, or freeze it for about 3 weeks. If you’re planning to give them away, make them a few days in advance: the flavors will pair perfectly, making the little guys even better.