Classic Gingerbread Cookie Recipe – Easy No-fail Recipe!

Christmas is just around the corner, and one of my favorite holiday recipes is making its debut once again! This gingerbread cookie recipe was long lost on our blog and mistakenly deleted years ago! One of our regular readers wrote to us and managed to track down our recipe that was re-posted on another blog. Now we are back with the original recipe that is tried and tested, and looks like it is a favorite among many of our readers. If you are looking for the perfect gingerbread recipe that is simple, easy, and no-fuss – this is it! Keep reading and happy baking!

Classic Gingerbread Cookie Recipe with Icing! – Easy No-fail Recipe!

 
Ingredients:
 
  •  Melted butter, to grease
  •  125g butter, room temp
  •  1/2 cup brown sugar
  •  1/2 cup golden syrup
  •  1 egg, separated
  •  2 1/2 cups plain flour
  •  1 tbsp ground ginger
  •  1 tsp mixed spice
  •  1 tsp baking soda
  •   Plain flour, to dust
  •   1 cup pure icing sugar, sifted
  •   liquid food coloring
Instructions:
 
  1. Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease 2 baking trays with melted butter.
  2. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Slowly add in golden syrup and only the egg yolk, and keep beating until well incorporated.
  3. Stir in flour, ginger, mixed spice and baking soda.
  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth. Press dough into a disc shape and cover with plastic wrap. Place dough in fridge to cool for 30 minutes. Cool dough will help your gingerbread shapes hold their form until they are placed in the oven to bake.
  5. To make icing, using a mixing bowl and electric mixer, beat egg white until soft peaks for. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
  6. Divide icing among as many bowls as the number of color you plan on using to decorate your cookies. Add a few drops of food coloring to each icing to get your desired color. Place the bowls in the fridge.
  7. Place dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use your cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the shapes on baking trays about 3 cm apart.
  8. Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until slightly golden/brown. Remove and transfer to a rack to cool. You can also place them in the fridge to cool off faster!
  9. Place prepared icing in small plastic bags and cut a small hole in the corner of each bag. Pipe icing over cookie to decorate as you wish!

4 Great Christmas Gifts for Foodies

Do you have friends that love food? Here are some delicious Christmas gift ideas for foodie friends!

We all one or two foodies in our lives. They can be family or friends, but there is always someone who takes their time taking pictures of their and everyone’s meals before it is eaten. They always know the trendiest foods to eat and where the hottest restaurants and off the wall food joints are located. If you are still thinking of what to gift the special foodie in your life, here are some great food ideas that will add some sparkle this Christmas to your gifts! 

Homemade Dessert

Who does not like some great dessert? They are the perfect treat for a less than stellar day or just something to end your meal with. Show your love for your foodie friend by making them a dessert yourself. It would be great if you can temper your own chocolate to create some delectable treats. Start with some good quality chocolate like Santa Barbara Chocolate, a wholesale gourmet chocolate supplier. And because you bought in bulk, you will have enough chocolate to make gifts not just for your foodie friends but everyone else! And you may even have enough to have a secret stash of Christmas biscuits that you can get from any time you need a pick-me-up snack.

Food Trails by Lonely Planet 

Got a foodie friend who wants to try more than just the trendiest restaurants in your town, get them this book. There’s no better source than the Lonely Planet. And with Food Trails, you’ll get a guide to some of the best places in the world to get the best food. You get not just a map and a simple guide to the place, but you’ll see gorgeous photographs and some of the best writing that will definitely pique your interest and get your foodie friend already packing their bags in their head and planning their food adventure.

Snackoo Box

Here’s a good unique idea for a foodie. You might think that subscription boxes are already overrated, but this one is a great choice. If you have a foodie friend who seems to like snacks that have an Asian flavor to it, choose a Snackoo Box. You’ll find flavors from countries in East Asia like Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China and more. While you’ll get the usual and popular brands like Pocky, Meiji and Calbee, expect to also see some unique snack items that their team has personally handpicked. Or you can opt in for something delicious and unique like a flower bouquet made from beef jerky from the Awesome Gifts Company.

Ceramic Knife Set

While not all foodies are proclaimed chefs in the kitchen, you might know someone who has translated their love for eating to also creating their own meals for their friends and families. And any good chef will tell you that a well-made knife is essential for any person who loves to cook. For those who like to cook even when going on a road trip or a vacation, a ceramic knife would be a great gift so that they no longer need to use dull knives when going camping or the like.

Gluten Free Hemp Cookies with Oatmeal and Coconut

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Everything tastes guilt-free when it’s gluten free and oh-so healthy! These hemp cookies are loaded with protein, fiber, and energy-boosting nutrients. With a combination of hemp, oatmeal, coconut, and bananas, you are sure to be left feeling satisfied and full for a long time.

If you are looking for a recipe for pot cookies – sorry this is not one for you. These delicious cookies are made from a different variety of cannabis than marijuana. Hemp is a high protein seed that contains all nine essential amino acids. It’s also includes omega 3 and 6 fats as well as vitamin E and tons of minerals.

If you are on a diet, these cookies are the perfect snack before hitting the gym. Loaded with muscle-building protein, they are a lot healthier than store-bought energy bars. With no sugar added and all natural ingredients, what are you waiting for? Let’s get baking!

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back. Thanks!  

Gluten Free Hemp Cookies with Oatmeal and Coconut

Protein-packed hemp cookies with rolled oats and coconut flour.

Ingredients:
 
  1. 1.5 cups Hemp flour
  2. 1/2 cup oats
  3. ½ cup coconut flour
  4. 1 tbsp flax seeds
  5. 2 bananas, mashed
  6. 2 tbsp honey
  7. 1.5 cups raisins (optional)
  8. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  9. 4 tbsp water – add more if it’s too dry
Instructions:
 
  1.  Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2.  In a mixing bowl, combine hemp flour, oats, coconut flour, and flax seeds.
  3.  In a separate bowl, mash together the bananas, honey, raisins, vanilla extract and water. Your dough should resemble cookie dough. If it’s too dry, add another tbsp of water.
  4. Drop tablespoons of the dough onto baking sheet and then flatten into circles. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven onto a cooling rack.
 

 More Delicious Cookie Recipes:

3 Step Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookiestwo-ingredient-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-raisin-cookies-healthy-low-calorie-recipe-1

Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies Recipechocolate-chip-orange-cookies-infused-whole-wheat-easy-recipe-better-baking-bible-blog-2

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies3 easy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies-how-to-make-muesli-bobs-red-mill-coconut-oil-honey-raisins-choco-chips-dairy-free

3 Step Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

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Going gluten free has never been SO easy! These 3 step gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip raisin cookies literally take three steps to make! I love and support a gluten free lifestyle and confirm that it yields so many health benefits. In a matter of weeks you literally feel like a new person! But when it comes to baking, it can get a little tricky. Almost all baking recipes contain some kind of gluten, and I just can’t give up chocolate chip cookies.

These chocolate raisins cookies cookies are healthy, contain no sugar, and are jam packed with fibre. You wouldn’t even guess they are gluten free! You can make these cookies as 2 ingredient cookies or you can add in my favorite optional add-ins that I included in the recipe.

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back to this original post. Thanks! 

 

3 Step Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

 
Ingredients:
 
  1. 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
  2. 2 cups oat flour (see instructions)
  3. 2 tbsp ground flax seed (optional)
  4. ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
  5. ½ cup raisins (optional)
Instructions:
 
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. To make the oat flour, place oats in a blender and blend until they become the consistency of flour. (I didn’t blend mine all the way because I like a more crunchier taste!) In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed bananas, oat flour, chocolate chips, flax, and raisins.
  3. Drop large tablespoons of cookie dough onto the baking sheet and then flatten the dough. Bake for about 10 minutes.


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Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies Recipe

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Chocolate and orange all in one cookie sounds like a happily married combination! These chocolate chip orange cookies are infused with fresh orange juice and orange zest mixed with delicious dark chocolate and vanilla aroma… can you really ask for more in a cookie? 

Last weekend, I tried to come up with something different other than my weekend staple chocolate oatmeal cookies. I wanted something fruity, but also infused with chocolate since everyone LOVES chocolate! After coming back from my local Lidl with a whole bucket of fresh oranges, I started to feel a little guilty while throwing away the juicy peels. That really got me onto something – orange zest! Why waste orange peels and why not add orange zest into chocolate chip cookies?

These cookies are loaded with orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice. They taste like a chocolate chip cookie but even BETTER. Making orange one of the main ingredients is an ingenious way to add a little kick to your recipes. I’ll definitely consider this for future cookies and even cakes or creams I will be making… stay tuned. 🙂 

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*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back to this original post. Thanks!

Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies

 
Yields 24
Soft chocolate chip cookies infused with fresh orange zest and vanilla.
 
Ingredients:
 
  1. 1 cup butter
  2. ¾ cup brown sugar
  3. zest of one orange
  4. 2 tbsp brewed coffee
  5. 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
  6. 1 tbsp corn starch
  7. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  8. freshly squeeze juice of half an orange
  9. 1 cup + 4 tbsp whole wheat flour
  10. 1 cup + 4 tbsp white all purpose flour
  11. 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  12. 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  13. ½ tsp salt
  14. 1 cup chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)
Instructions:
 
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter and brown sugar. Add in orange zest, coffee, flax, cornstarch, juice from half an orange, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. I find that mixing with my hands works best to combine all the ingredients!
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir together until incorporated.
  4. Mix together the wet mixture (from step 1) with the dry mixture (from step 3). Add in chocolate chips and combine all the ingredients together.
  5. Drop rounded spoonful’s onto cookie sheet and bake cookies for about 15 minutes or until slightly golden.
  6. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off completely.

   

Chocolate Dipped Wafers With Nuts and Coconut

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Don’t you just LOVE no-bake desserts? It’s almost like cheating when it comes to baking! These homemade chocolate dipped wafer cookies sprinkled with coconut, and nuts, are so easy to make and completely customizable. If you want to make these for Valentine’s Day, simply swap the nuts for pink and red sprinkles. For Easter, dip them in Chocolate and then sprinkle over crushed Cadbury’s Mini Eggs. You can also alter them for Christmas, and use red and green sprinkles. Your options are only limited to your imagination!

The recipe I use for the filling is the exact same recipe I used for my chocolate salami recipe, just this time I didn’t roll up the wafer sheets. These freeze very well, and can sit for a long time – chocolate can practically last forever! 

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*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back to this original post. Thanks!  

Chocolate Dipped Wafers With Nuts and Coconut

 
Fast no-bake wafer cookies dipped in chocolate and sprinkled over with chopped walnuts and shredded coconut. Totally customizable decorations!
 
Ingredients:
 
For Chocolate Wafers
 
  • 200 g powdered sugar
  • 400 g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 4 wafer sheets (store bought)
  • 80 g dark cooking chocolate
  • 400 g Petite Beurre cookies (crushed into tiny bits)
  • 80 g raisins
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tbsp rum
To Decorate
 
  • Dark cooking chocolate
  • Butter
  • Oil
  • Chopped nuts
  • Shredded coconut
Instructions:
 
To Make Wafer Cookies
 
  • Mix eggs and powdered sugar in a pot of a double boiler. Add butter and chocolate and cook on a double boiler until it turns into the consistency of pudding.
  • Remove from stove and mix in rum, crushed cookies, and raisins.
  • Evenly spread the mixture over one wafer sheet and place another sheet on top. Press as hard as you can with a heavy object such as a large wooden cutting board. Transfer to freezer to chill for a few hours.
  • Once chilled, remove from freezer and cut into wedges or rectangles.
To Decorate
 
  • Melt chocolate in a double boiler, add a little bit of oil and butter and keep mixing until the mixture becomes pourable. I do this step all approximately!
  • Dip wafers into chocolate and then sprinkle them with walnuts or coconut. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and back in the freezer to chill.
  • Once wafer cookies are chilled and the chocolate has hardened, they are ready to eat!
Notes
 
  • Swap your nuts and coconut for any sprinkles in the color of your choice!

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Traditional Christmas Biscuits: Sweet German Lebkuchen

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Lebkuchen german biscuits recipe christmas holidays easy gingerbread molasses 2

Lebkuchen is a traditional sweet biscuit that comes from Nurembery, Germany since the late 1300s. This soft, cakey biscuit is spicy, easy-to-make and marks the beginning of Christmas in Germany. It is a delicious biscuit that tastes almost like gingerbread even though there is no ginger in it! These cookies are round, have a sweet, lightly nutty taste and they give off a spicy aroma like nutmeg and allspice. 

You can enjoy these with a warm cup of tea or coffee, and they store really well so they are perfect to make ahead of time if you would like to get a kick start on your Christmas baking! Just keep them in a tin can or sealed container to maintain freshness and eat up whenever you like! 

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back to this original post. Thanks!   

German Lebkuchen Christmas Biscuits

Sweet, soft, and cakey traditional German Christmas cookies.
 
Ingredients:
 
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 1 cup light molasses
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp cloves
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 200g candied orange, lemon and citron peel, diced and mixed
  • 100g slivered almonds
  • 3 1/2 cups white flour
  • lemon juice for icing
  • powdered sugar for icing
  • * optional: dark chocolate for icing
Instructions:
 
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, warm brown sugar, honey molasses and butter. Mix together and set aside to cool.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix sour cream and baking soda and then add the cooled sugar, honey, molasses and butter mix.
  • Mix in ground cinnamon, cloves, cocoa powder, candied citrus peels, slivered almonds, and white flour. Keep mixing with your hands until you form a nice dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest overnight in the fridge.
  • The next day, preheat over to 350 F and roll out dough 1/4″ thick onto a lightly floured surface. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out circles and place onto lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. In a small bow, mix together half lemon juice and half water with some icing sugar and mix until a pourable icing has formed. Dip the top of each cookie into the icing and set aside.
Notes
 
  •  If you like, you can also dip the bottom part of the cookie in chocolate syrup. To do this, add half a bar of dark cooking chocolate in a small pot (about 100g of chocolate). Add a tbsp of oil and stir until all chocolate has melted. Dip the bottom parts into the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper and into freezer until cooled and chocolate has hardened.

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