Fragrant, crumbly, and irresistibly spiced, ginger shortbread cookies are a small yet grand Christmas classic. With their warm and enveloping aroma, they turn the kitchen into a festive workshop, filling the air with sweetness and joy. The dough recipe is simple and accessible to everyone… then you can cut the cookies with a cutter (as I did), or with your favorite shapes. Perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, these cookies are also a delightful homemade gift idea, to package for your family and friends.
Here are more delicious ideas for the holidays:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Seasonality: Christmas, All Seasons
- Energy 169.43 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 22.87 (g) of which sugars 9.54 (g)
- Proteins 2.65 (g)
- Fat 8.16 (g) of which saturated 5.15 (g)of which unsaturated 2.88 (g)
- Fibers 0.75 (g)
- Sodium 34.19 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 35 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- Baking trays
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer
- Cookie cutter for cookies
- Rolling pin
Preparation
Sift the flour and a tablespoon of cocoa into a bowl, add the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and set aside.
With the help of the stand mixer (or with a spoon and a bowl), cream the butter (slightly softened) with the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
Add the egg, a pinch of salt, and mix.
Then add the flour, cocoa, and spices. Incorporate them a little at a time, until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous ball.
Wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.
Roll out the dough with the rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, using a little flour if necessary.
Cut out the cookies with the stamp, or with a cutter of your preferred shape. Gather the scraps and continue cutting cookies until the dough is used up.
As they are ready, place them on one or more baking trays lined with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies in a static oven at 356°F (or fan oven at 338°F) for about 15 minutes.
Adjust the time and temperature according to your oven’s characteristics, and always keep an eye on the cookies to prevent them from burning.
When they are cooked, remove them immediately from the oven and let them cool completely.
The ginger shortbread cookies are ready to be served, or packaged as a delicious gift.
Tips and Notes
Try to roll the shortbread dough while it’s cold, so the cookies hold their shape well. I recommend working with a piece of dough at a time, to prevent it from getting too warm. If you don’t bake them right away, place the trays with the cookies in the refrigerator.
If you want to hang the cookies on the Christmas tree, make a hole at the top edge before baking them.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do you store ginger cookies?
They stay crunchy for several days, in a well-closed tin, ceramic, or glass cookie jar.
