:: Not the Gumdrop Button... ::

Meg’s Vanilla Bean & Gingerbread Cookies

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: gingerbread men & rudolf reindeer - two ways ::

I have fond holiday memories of Gingerbread Houses growing up. It wasn’t something my mum made, however family friends would sometimes make the most amazing gingerbread houses at Christmas time that I admired with wonder, also a watering mouth. The kids would all demolish it together with squeals of delight… eating the gumdrop lolly features & hardened icing first, of course!

Strangely enough, it was also going to Pizza Hut in the big city of Albury (an hours drive from where we lived) & always getting a gingerbread man for the ride home. Back then, I didn’t really like the foreign ginger taste in a cookie, but grew to love the spiced sweetness that you encounter with this special cookie. I would eat the icing with sprinkles off first, changing the colour of my face, then follow onto the cookie. Yum.

:: my favourite gingerbread man copper cookie cutter ::

Now that I have a child of my own, I would also like him to have the same fond recollections of Gingerbread at special occasions. Each birthday I have made him this recipe & now we are making Christmas Cookies in festive shapes for him to put icing “squeeze” on to & to decorate with friends. I am yet to attempt a Gingerbread House, but the next Christmas that we have at our house, you can bet on it!

Ginger Cookie Recipe

125g butter, softened

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup golden syrup

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste or seeds of 1 vanilla bean

2 cups plain flour

⅓ cup self raising flour

1 Tbs ground ginger

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Prepare 3 cookie trays with baking paper. Note: Make sure they can also fit into your freezer. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, vanilla & golden syrup together until pale & creamy. Add the egg gradually & beat until combined. Add the flours, ginger spices, bircarb soda & place your mixer on slow until just combined. Turn out onto a floured surface & knead until smooth, for about 1-2 minutes.

Take off one of your baking papers from a cookie tray. Roll out approximately a third of the dough on the baking paper until about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. Lift the paper & place onto your baking tray & put into the freezer for 10 minutes to chill, or until firm enough to cut. While this is chilling, repeat the process & roll out some more dough to place in the freezer. 
Carefully lift the paper of chilled rolled gingerbread off the tray & press out your shapes. Cautiously place them onto a cookie tray with baking paper underneath. Place into the oven while the dough is still cool & bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. 
Cool on trays then transfer to a cooling rack. 

Ice with Megann's Basic Royal Icing if desired.

Store

:: In an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

:: golden syrup goodness ::

:: about to mix together - soft butter & sweeteners ::

  

Kitchen Notes

:: For Christmas I add a little bit of Christmas with my spices: such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg or Allspice. eg- 1½  tsp dried ginger & ½ tsp of mixed Christmas spice for this mixture quantity. Be sure to taste the dough - depending on the age of your spices they will have different intensities.

:: If you find that your cookies are creating crease like cracks in the top, it means your mixture is too dry. Try one of two solutions: whilst on the baking tray, place your cut out cookies back into the freezer to seize the cookie dough once again before baking. A fiddly, yet more effective, solution is to place the dough back into your mixing bowl, add more moisture (such as milk) to your mixture & combine on a slow speed with electric beaters.

:: For gifts, birthdays & special occasions, I place the gingerbread cookies into a cello bag & tie it with a matching ribbon – what a great way to make a simple cookie a little more presentable.

:: dry ingredients ::

:: delicious dough - ready to be rolled ::

:: rolling out to the perfect thickness - then into the freezer ::

Quick Kitchen

:: I have prepared the dough up to two days in advance, keeping it well covered in cling wrap in the fridge. Simply take the dough out of the fridge & sit on the bench top at least an hour before rolling. I find that it does produce a dryer dough, so make a more “wet” batch if this is your intention. Always check the consistency of the mixture before baking to prevent cracks (see above in kitchen notes).

:: I also use Queens Vanilla Bean Paste for my cookies, available from all good supermarkets in the baking section.

:: decorating Christmas fun with coloured Royal Icing ::

:: "mummy & me" - decorating efforts ::

Little Larder

:: When making this recipe for the kids, I halve the amount of the dried ginger ingredient so there is only a hint of the spiced flavouring. They find this non-offensive & more enjoyable. If you are also tentative about ginger, add it in 1 tsp amounts & taste the dough as you go.

:: For the kids to decorate the cookies, see my basic Royal Icing Recipe & Little Larder tips.

:: just some of a double batch - before being decorated with my Royal Icing ::

Recipe Doubled for birthdays, gifts & guests

250g butter, softened

⅔ cup brown sugar

⅔ cup golden syrup

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp of vanilla bean paste or seeds of 2 vanilla beans

4 cups plain flour

⅔ cup self-raising flour

2 Tbs ground ginger

2 tsp bicarbonate soda

:: matching my cookies to a birthday invite - by Sajaro Occasional Stationary ::

:: Merry Christmas to everyone - love Megann's Kitchen ::

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to everyone who reads & follows Megann’s Kitchen – your loyal support makes this adventure so rewarding… THANK YOU ALL!!!