I posted a pic on Instagram yesterday. I’d been baking gingerbread biscuits in the kitchen and wanted to show the baking area our kitchen designer had created for me.
In the past I’ve not had any dedicated storage in our kitchen. Instead, my baking paraphernalia has been scattered within drawers, boxes and cupboards.
It’s definitely a novelty for me to have a cupboard to myself!
Our old kitchen was severely lacking in storage (of any kind). There was little enough room, even, for basic pots and pans. To have a cupboard just for baking stuff — and my beloved KitchenAid — would have been unthinkable.
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Gingerbread Biscuits
Though there was lots of interest in my baking cupboard, there was definitely more excitement about the gingerbread biscuits that I’d made!
I used a quick gingerbread biscuit recipe that I’ve shared on the blog before; regular readers might remember the nutcracker biscuits I made one year. Or the snow globe gingerbread biscuits I made one Christmas.
And even though Christmas is well and truly over, and spring is on its way (thank goodness!), gingerbread is lovely at any time of year.
My Recipe for Perfect Gingerbread
You will need:
200g plain flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of mixed spice, ground ginger and cinnamon
50g dark muscovado sugar
100g salted butter softened and diced
50g black treacle
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 before you begin making your biscuits (or when ready to cook).
- Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar and mix well.
- Add the butter and — using just the tips of your fingers — rub the ingredients together until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- When all the butter is mixed in, make a well in the centre and add the treacle.
- Bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.
- Knead lightly until it has an even colour with not too many streaks of treacle (I do this bit in my Kitchenaid to avoid handling it).
Lightly form into a ball, then divide into two and squash it into two even-sized flattish discs. - Place one disc of dough on a sheet of grease-proof paper. Begin by gently squashing the dough down with the rolling pin or your hands, cover with a second sheet of parchment then use the rolling pin to roll properly.
If the top sheet crinkles, just peel it off, smooth it down gently and start rolling again. - Gently roll the dough until it’s around 5mm thick all over.
- Transfer the sheet of rolled dough, still sandwiched between its parchment, to a baking tray and place in the fridge to chill for at least 20-30 minutes before cutting.
Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. - Cut out the biscuits, with the cutter of your choice (my current favourite is a jumper cutter!). Place each one on to a parchment-covered baking tray and making sure that they are not too close together, as the dough will spread a little on baking.
To Cook Your Gingerbread Cookies
If you’re cooking more than one trayful at a time, space out the trays evenly and cook for 5-16 minutes, depending on your oven.
Keep a close eye on the first couple of batches you cook until you get used to how your oven cooks the gingerbread.
Mine used to cook in just 10 minutes (in the top of the top oven of our AGA). But since we had it refurbished, my gingerbread cookies bake in just 5 minutes!
Perfect gingerbread biscuits are ones that haven’t scorched on the edges!
Ice Ice Baby
When your biscuits have cooled, you can start to ice them!
This is definitely my favourite bit!
I’ll write a separate post about the icing. My method has changed and evolved over the years. I really don’t find it tricky anymore.
The first ones I made were a bit slap dash and — whilst I’m certainly no expert — the process (and the end result) has definitely improved!
Here are some more gingerbread jumpers and bobble hat biscuits I made a couple of weeks ago.
They’re so fun to make and the actual gingerbread recipe is super quick. If you want perfect gingerbread — but can’t be bothered to ice them — they still taste delicious!
One thing’s for sure, they take a lot longer to ice than they do to eat!
Pin Or Print This Perfect Gingerbread Recipe For Later
Perfect Gingerbread
This simple recipe makes the most delicious gingerbread biscuits. Super quick to make — even quicker to eat!
Ingredients
- 200g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 50g dark muscovado sugar
- 100g salted butter softened and diced
- 50g black treacle
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar and mix well.
- Add the butter and — using just the tips of your fingers — rub the ingredients together until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- When all the butter is mixed in, make a well in the centre and add the treacle.
- Bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.
- Knead lightly until it has an even colour with not too many streaks of treacle (I do this bit in my mixer to avoid handling it).
Lightly form into a ball, then divide into two and squash it into two even-sized flattish discs. - Place one disc of dough on a sheet of grease-proof paper.
- Begin by gently squashing the dough down with the rolling pin or your hands, cover with a second sheet of parchment then use the rolling pin to roll properly.
- If the top sheet crinkles, just peel it off, smooth it down gently and start rolling again.
- Gently roll the dough until it’s around 5mm thick all over.
- Transfer the sheet of rolled dough, still sandwiched between its parchment, to a baking tray and place in the fridge to chill for at least 20-30 minutes before cutting.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.
- Cut out the biscuits, with the cutter of your choice. Place each gingerbread biscuit on to a parchment-covered baking tray and making sure that they are not too close together, as the dough will spread a little on baking.
- Cook for 5-16 minutes, depending on your oven.
- Leave to cool.
Notes
Keep a close eye on the first couple of batches you cook until you get used to how your oven cooks the gingerbread.Mine used to cook in just 10 minutes (in the top of the top oven of our AGA). But since we had it refurbished, my gingerbread cookies bake in just 5 minutes!
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 137Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 18mgSodium 74mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 2g
Calculations was calculated by Nutritionix and is approximate
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
