Ginger cookies

There are many reasons to bake cookies at home: the cold, wanting to give someone a gift, spending some fun time with the kids in the kitchen, or simply enjoying a homemade sweet. This time Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes , offers us a basic that cannot be missing on these dates: the most delicious gingerbread cookie recipe you can make. What can't you resist?

There are certain flavors and aromas that make us travel sensorially in time and sometimes also in space. And that is precisely what happens to me with gingerbread cookies. Although this may not be a practice that is fully present in some of our homes, it is certainly a morsel full of tradition and reminiscences filled with endless delicious nuances.

Making gingerbread cookies is not only completely simple, it is an extremely entertaining and fun task, which will only improve if we manage to get hold of an extra pair of hands (or two; the more the better) with which to share a moment. as comforting as it is to make good homemade cookies. Because that's what it's all about, sharing, right?

However, this time, in addition, I was especially excited to decorate them for the occasion, so instead of giving them the classic "gingerbread man" shape, I have used my "All seasons" cookie stamps from Nordic Ware , They just look beautiful to me. But the thing does not stop there, because stamping our cookies with them turns the task, already completely gratifying in itself, into an experience that I would even say exciting.

It is clear that at these dates there are an infinite number of reasons and options to enter the kitchen and prepare from the most succulent and elaborate dishes to the simplest recipes, but no less festive and celebrated for that. And with this last excuse, I leave you with my stamped gingerbread cookies that are looking forward to reaching your table.

Kitchen Craft Measuring Spoon Set , Kitchen Craft Measuring Spoon Set and Cookie Stamps All Season Nordic Ware

Ingredients (for 12 large cookies)

All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated.

• 250g of common wheat flour (+ extra flour to manipulate the dough)
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• a pinch of salt
• 60g unsalted butter
• 80g of brown sugar
• 125gr of molasses or cane honey
• 1 egg yolk (L)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Icing sugar, to decorate (optional)

Elaboration

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt. Mix well with the help of some rods and reserve.
2. In the bowl of our KitchenAid mixer , equipped with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with the help of a silicone spatula or wooden spoon ) we beat the butter for a couple of minutes at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Now add the brown sugar and beat for a further 3 - 4 minutes on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and noticeably paler in colour.
4. Next, we reduce the speed, add the egg yolk and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Next, we add the molasses and vanilla extract and mix well until a uniform mixture is obtained.
6. Now add the dry ingredients that we had reserved (point 1) in two batches and mix gently until there are no visible traces of flour. We will obtain a somewhat crumbly and very sticky dough.
7. Pour the mixture onto a sheet of transparent film wide enough to wrap it well in it, close it and shape it into a ball through the film. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (even overnight) until the dough is completely firm and solid.
8. Once ready, we divide the dough into 12 equal portions (about 45gr each) and shape each portion into a ball again.
9. Next, we flour the work surface on one side and on the other we grease our cookie stamps (I have used the "All Seasons" model from Nordic Ware ) with a light layer of release spray or sunflower oil (we can easily apply it with the help of of a pastry brush ) and we are stamping our cookies, pressing the stamp evenly on each ball of dough until we check that it reaches the edge*. We will grease the stamps again whenever necessary (I usually do it every two cookies). To detach the cookies from the stamps, lightly separate the edge of the dough around the edge of the stamp with your fingertips and the cookie will gently detach from the surface of the stamp.
10. With the help of a flat spatula, also floured, we are placing our gingerbread cookies on the baking tray with a separation of about 2 cm between one and the other. In these cases, I always use my De Buyer non-stick pan as I don't need to grease it or cover it with any type of baking paper. We then cover with transparent film and refrigerate again for 15 minutes, so the relief of the designs will remain well defined even after baking.
11. Meanwhile, we preheat the oven (electric and airless) to 180ºC with heat above and below and place the oven rack in the center position.
12. We bake our cookies for about 10-12 minutes (depending on whether we want them more or less crunchy) until the edges begin to brown very slightly.
13. Remove from the oven and leave the cookies on the tray for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them with the spatula to a cooling rack to cool completely.
14. When serving, we can sprinkle them with a little icing sugar to give them an even more Christmassy touch.

They are kept up to 5 days at room temperature well protected from air in an airtight container.

De Buyer nonstick baking sheet , Tellier mechanical scale, All Season Nordic Ware cookie stamps and Birkmann cooling rack

Grades

• *If we want the edges to be perfectly defined, we can finish cutting them with a round cookie cutter with the same diameter as the stamps.
• The diversity and indicated amounts of each spice may vary according to the particular taste of each one, although in my opinion ginger and cinnamon seem unquestionable in this recipe.
• A fairly common practice is to hang some gingerbread cookies on the Christmas tree as a decoration. If you feel like trying it, you just have to pierce them with the help of a straw a few millimeters from the edge just before putting them in the oven. Once cold, you cross the hole with a pretty ribbon or string and voila!
• If necessary (sometimes it happens), we can double the amounts indicated in the recipe and make twice as many cookies, except in the case of the egg yolk, which instead of two, we would use a whole egg. And so, we can also make extra cookies to give as gifts.
• Once baked, as soon as they cool completely, the gingerbread cookies can be frozen for up to 2-3 months, well wrapped in cling film first and aluminum foil later.

I say goodbye to this year and to all of you with my best wishes. See you soon!

A hug,

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