The Best Cookie Swap Ever

Enjoying cookies at Christmas time has been a tradition in America since the 1600s. So, prepare to indulge in a fabulous cookie swap with your friends and neighbors this holiday season! We’ve got the most amazing gingerbread cookie recipe for you and top cookie making tips.

A gingerbread cookie recipe for a taste sensation!

The fabulous bakers at ANNA Cake Couture created the delicious gingerbread cookies, pictured, for us – and they’re delighted to share their special recipe with you. They smell sensational and taste even better!

This recipe will make around 25 large cookies or 40 small cookies.      
Baking time 8-12 minutes, depending on the cookie size.

Ingredients:

(For the hot mix)

• 5 Tbsp hot water
• 7oz brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp dark molasses
• 3 Tbsp light molasses
• 3 Tbsp ground ginger
• 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves

(To add to the hot mix)

• 9oz cold salted butter, diced
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 20oz all-purpose flour

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 392F/Gas 6.
• Place all the ingredients for the hot mix in a deep heavy saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring.
• Once boiled, remove the pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon or plastic spatula, carefully stir in the diced butter.
• Once these are well combined, add the baking soda and whisk the mix through briefly.
• Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer and leave to cool until just slightly warm.
• Once the mixture has cooled, sieve the flour over the top and start combining the two on a low speed, using the paddle attachment, until it forms a wet and sticky dough.
• Wrap the dough in Saran wrap and chill for a couple of hours, or ideally overnight.
• Place the dough on a floured clean surface and knead it through briefly, then roll it out to an even thickness (you can use marzipan spacers to help you achieve this if you want).
• Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into your desired shapes, then lay them on baking trays lined with baking paper.
• Chill again for 30 minutes.
• Bake the cookies, in the pre-heated oven, for around 8-12 minutes depending on their size. You want them to be just firm to the touch.
• Gently lift them off the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• Once cool you can ice them if you wish (see the tips below), or enjoy them plain.
• A lovely way to present your cookies is to pop them into shiny gift bags, like our striped Festive Glassine Treat Bags

Cookie top tips

Anna Tyler, Director at ANNA Cake Couture, recommends you try the following for fantastic cookies everytime.

1. Use royal icing to decorate your biscuits. You can buy ready made royal icing sugar that you simply add water to – and this makes it really easy!