When my home fills with the smell of baking gingerbread cookies, I know Christmas has arrived. Of course in my household the cookies disappear as quickly as they are baked. Therefore I tend to put off baking until a few days before Christmas. The ones in these pictures have been greedily devoured already and we still have a week to go until Christmas. Looks like I will be busily baking more.
I like to use treacle as well as golden syrup to give more depth to the flavour of the biscuits. The addition of allspice brings a little more 'Christmas' to their taste. Use your favourite cookie cutters and decorate as you desire.
A tip for my Australian readers, and those making these in warm climates, cold dough is the key. I made mine on a very hot summer day. My advice for easy handling and making sure the cookies keep their shape on baking is, keep the dough cold. In my circumstance it meant chilling the dough before use. Chilling the dough once I had rolled it. Then chilling the biscuits once they had been cut before I baked them. Putting the rolled dough and then the cut cookies on the tray in the freezer for a minute or two will make all the difference.
Printable Recipe
Gingerbread Biscuits
Ingredients
- 125 grams butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup golden syrup
- ¼ cup treacle
- 2 ½ cup plain flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon bicarb soda baking soda
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup icing sugar confectioner's sugar, sifted
- food colouring if required
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 190 deg C/375 deg F/gas mark 5.
- In a large bowl place butter and sugar, beat with electric mixer until pale and creamy. Mix in the golden syrup, treacle, sifted flour, ginger, all spice and bicarb soda. Keep mixing until a smooth dough is formed.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge until if firms up (around 10 minutes). Between two pieces of non stick baking paper roll out the dough to 4mm thickness. Cut out shapes using your favourite Christmas cookie cutters.
- Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Cool slightly on trays, before moving them to wire cooling racks.
- Place egg white in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar until stiff peaks form. If colouring icing divide in to bowls and colour as desired. Otherwise transfer icing straight to a piping bag for use.
- Decorate biscuits as desired.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
Do tell dear Belly Rumbles reader, what is your favourite biscuit to cook at Christmas time?
Sara xxx
Mikel
Ahaha, I LOVE your cookie cutter shapes, and these look amazingly delicious :). You know it's finally Christmas time with the army of gingerbread men come rolling out of the oven.
Sara
Thanks so much Mikel, The smell of gingerbread does signify Christmas, love how it wafts through the house.
Miss Piggy
I LOVE gingerbread but I think this is a bit beyond my baking abilities...probably a good thing as I'd eat the lot ASAP too.
Sara
Oh Mel, it is not beyond your baking capabilities. You have been creating the most delicious things of late!
The Life of Clare
I love ginger bread! I made my first batch this season and loved it!
Sara
Awesome Clare!
Helen (Grab Your Fork)
These look so shiny and lustrous - I can almost smell the treacle from here! I agree - baking gingerbread in summer is always a struggle against the humidity, and my freezer is always packed to the rafters I can rarely find room for a baking tray to get in there either. lol
Sara
Yes freezer room can often be a struggle, if it wasn't for the second freezer...... 🙂
Anna @The Littlest Anchovy
Baking gingerbread on a hot, summers day? Oh, I have totally been there. In fact, since then I have been afraid to make it! You have inspired me to get back on the horse Sara! Your bickies look so perfect!
Sara
Thanks Anna, they really are a pain to make in hot weather. Can be done as long as you keep everything as cold as possible. Glad to have inspired you to get on that horse again.
vegeTARAian
YUM!! I've never made my own gingerbread, you've inspired me to give it a shot
Sara
Glad I inspired you 🙂 Really not that hard, just pick a cool day.
Jacq
aww your gingerbread men are so cute! Sometimes baking is the last thing I want to do when the weather is hot but Christmas calls for gingerbread!
Sara
Thanks Jacq! It really is the wrong weather for baking gingerbread bics, but Christmas is the time for them.