These Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies are packed with all the flavours and textures of traditional gingerbread cake but in a soft tasty biscuit. Our Gingerbread biscuits are similar to the traditional favourite German Christmas cookies Lebkuchen and are perfect for baking over the Autumnal and festive season. These biscuits are egg-free and easy to prepare as suitable for vegans and plant-based diets.
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What are gingerbread biscuits?
Gingerbread cookies are simply gingerbread cake in biscuit or cookie form as they share the same flavours of sweet golden syrup and spiced ginger. Gingerbread cookies have a soft and crisp outer edge and deliciously softer insides, and are similar to German Christmas cookies or Lebkuchen.
Gingerbread has a long history that dates back to at least the medieval ages. Medieval gingerbread was more like a big slab that was prepared with honey, breadcrumbs, and spices. The gingerbread slabs were decorated with box leaves and studded with cloves. Although some gingerbread may not have actually contained ginger spice, while others were sweetened or thickened with parsnips!
The first gingerbreads were not actually eaten as part of a dessert or pudding, rather they were included along with the meal or eaten between courses, and it was mainly rich folk who could afford the luxury of gingerbread.
By the 1700s black treacle or molasses was being used to sweeten gingerbread and flour was commonly added instead of breadcrumbs. Eggs were also being added which would have given the gingerbread a lift during baking creating a less dense bake.
During the Victorian era gingerbread was being decorated with icing, as well as moulded or cut-out into different shapes, characters and scenes. One Christmas, Queen Victoria presented her King Charles spaniel dog Dash with the gift of two pieces of gingerbread, while her German husband Prince Albert dressed up as Saint Nicholas and gifted their children pieces of gingerbread as a reward for being good that year. It was during these times that gingerbread began to be associated with the festivities of Christmas.
Next came the English fairs which sold gingerbread moulded into shapes, much like gingerbread people biscuits, and these biscuits were regarded as a great treat, and men, especially, would gift the gingerbread biscuits to their sweethearts.
Nowadays, we have many gingerbread recipes such as gingerbread houses, and gingerbread people, as well as gingerbread cakes and loafs, and ginger cookies or biscuits, as well as Parkin cake and Parkin biscuits, all equally delicious.
For special gingerbread days there is National Gingerbread House Day [December 12th] and National Gingerbread Day [June, 5th], and National Gingerbread Cookie Day [November 21st], and Gingerbread Decorating Day [December 14th]
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need for this recipe are:
- plain flour [or all-purpose/cake flour]
- bicarbonate of soda [baking powder]
- dark brown sugar
- margarine or butter [we used Stork baking spread]
- golden syrup
- ginger powder
- salt
To decorate:
- icing sugar [powdered sugar]
- water
- candied ginger [crystallised ginger]
How to prepare
Preparing these gingerbread cookies is really easy. The liquid ingredients are melted before being stirred through the dry ingredients, and mixed by hand to a cookie dough. No chilling of the dough is required.
Step 1: Melt the margarine, golden syrup, and dark brown sugar in a small saucepan.
Step 2: Next sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and ginger powder into a mixing bowl. Stir through the salt.
Step 3: Pour the melted margarine mix into the dry ingredients and stir until it all comes together into a cookie dough.
Step 4: Scoop up heaped teaspoonfuls of mixture and using the palms of your hands roll the dough into a smooth ball.
Step 5: Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Step 6: Prepare the water icing by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl and stirring through a few teaspoons of water. Stir well.
Step 7: Dip the tops of each cookie into the icing and leave on a wire rack or board to set.
Step 8: [Optional]: pop a small piece of crystallised or candied ginger on to each iced cookie.
Step 9: The icing will take a few hours to set if the room temperature is not too hot. Alternatively to speed up the icing setting, pop the biscuits into the refrigerator just until the icing has set.
Recipe notes
Storage
Iced gingerbread cookies will keep for at least 4-5 days, likely a few days more if stored somewhere cool and dry. Un-iced cookies can be stored longer.
Store within a biscuit tin or cookie jar. Wrap in parchment paper and kitchen foil if storing in a plastic food container or similar tub. The cookies can also be wrapped if storing in a cookie tin or tub and this will keep them fresher for longer. Un-decorated cookies can be frozen for 3-4 months, well wrapped.
FAQ'S
This recipe for gingerbread cookies is not gluten-free but the flour can be replaced with a gluten-free plain flour blend such as Freee Gluten-Free Plain Flour [Doves Farm] or if your in the UK try Asda's Free From Plain Flour which is a cheaper option.
Also add in a ¼ teaspoon of xantham gum to the flour as this will help stick the cookies together, as some gluten-free bakes can have a tendency to be crumbly and fall apart.
As for bicarbonate of soda [baking soda] this ingredient is naturally gluten-free.
However, please note that I have not tested this recipe as gluten-free but cannot see a reason why it wouldn't work. I will be testing this recipe with gluten-free flour and will update this question ASAP. Do let me know if you try and how you got on in the comments below. Thanks so much x
If you are outwith the UK and find sourcing golden syrup difficult or too expensive then light molasses is a good swap, as it is lighter and not as strongly flavoured compared with darker types of molasses.
Crystallised ginger is pieces of fresh ginger that have been boiled in a sugar syrup before being dried and coated in more sugar. It is also known as candied ginger, and is quite fiery in taste but this is mitigated with the sugar so the overall flavour is quite delicious.
If you're in the UK, have a look in Home Bargains or Poundland for some crystallised ginger. Many supermarkets such as Tesco supermarket also sell Whitworth's Crystallised ginger. A bag lasts a long time if kept in an air-tight container or tightly sealed once opened, so it can be used for many more tasty future recipes.
More baking recipes featuring ginger
All our recipes are egg-free and dairy-free but of course you can use your usual milk and fat [butter/margarine] for any of our recipes.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe
Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- baking tray/cookie sheet
- parchment paper
- Small saucepan
- sieve
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 185 grams plain flour [all-purpose or cake flour]
- ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda [baking soda]
- 50 grams dark brown sugar [or light soft brown sugar]
- 80 grams margarine or butter [we used Stork baking spread]
- 100 grams golden syrup [or replace with light molasses]
- 4 teaspoons ginger powder
- 1 pinch salt [we used sea salt]
Decorate:
- 125 grams icing sugar [powdered sugar]
- 3 tablespoons crystalized ginger [candied ginger] [optional] chopped into 19 small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 Fan / 180C / Fahrenheit 356 / Gas 4.Line the baking tray with parchment paper.
- Add the margarine, golden syrup and sugar into a small saucepan. Gently heat, stirring frequently, until everything is melted and combined.80 grams margarine or butter, 100 grams golden syrup, 50 grams dark brown sugar
- Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger into a mixing bowl. Stir through the salt.185 grams plain flour, ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 4 teaspoons ginger powder, 1 pinch salt
- Pour the melted mixture into the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the pot so that all the mixture is removed.
- Mix everything together, bringing it all into a cookie dough ball.
- Using a teaspoon, pick up heaped teaspoonfuls and roll the dough into ball shapes. Place the balls on to the baking tray leaving at least an inch or few cm's between each cookie.[each cookie will weigh about 20-22 grams each]
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and firm to touch although don't press too hard as they will still be soft inside.My cookies were baked at 10 minutes using an electric oven at 180C. Check fan ovens a few minutes earlier as these tend to bake a few minutes faster.
- After 5 minutes cooling on the baking tray remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Decorate:
- Sift the icing sugar into a small bowl. Stir through 4 teaspoons of water to make a smooth runny paste. Although not too runny as it needs to easily coat the cookie without completely running down the sides.Add an extra few drops of water if the water icing is too thick. I used just under 5 teaspoons of water. [If the icing becomes too runny simply stir a few more teaspoons of icing sugar through until its thickened]125 grams icing sugar
- Dip the top of each cookie into the water icing and move it around to ensure its evenly coated. [or use a teaspoon and dollop some icing over the top of the cookie and carefully spread it to the sides.Place each iced cookie back onto the wire rack so that any icing that runs down the sides can drip away from the cookie. Alternatively just set the cookies on parchment paper.
- Optional: Add a small piece of chopped crystalized or candied ginger on to each cookie. [Although the crystalized ginger may be too fiery in taste for some people especially kids. If so perhaps add a halved or quartered glace [candied] cherry on to each cookie, or a wee vegan sweetie or candy, for example a Jelly Tot.]3 tablespoons crystalized ginger [candied ginger]
- Leave until the icing has set. To speed this up pop the cookies into the refrigerator just until the icing sets.
Notes
- Nutritional information is intended for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients can vary.
- Iced gingerbread cookies will keep for at least 4-5 days, perhaps a few days more if stored somewhere cool and dry. Un-iced cookies can be stored longer.
- Store within a cookie tin/tub or a glass cookie jar. Wrap in parchment paper and kitchen foil if storing in a plastic food container or if not eating within the next few days.
- The cookies can also be wrapped if storing in a cookie tin/tub and this will keep them fresher for longer.
- Un-decorated cookies can be frozen for 3-4 months, well wrapped.
- The crystalized or candied ginger may be too fiery in taste for some people and kids, so if this is an issue simply omit or replace with a halved glace [candied] cherry or a wee vegan sweetie or candy, such as a Jelly Tot or chocolate drop/button.
- Stork baking spread was used for this recipe.
- If your outwith the UK and can't source golden syrup then replace with light molasses. Darker types of molasses may change the flavour too much creating a richer cookie, but it could still be tried out and the flavour may be preferred!
Nutrition
Comments
Prepared our Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Biscuits? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe so do leave us a comment and click the star ratings. All feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks! Jacq x
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