Spiced Gingerbread Biscuit Recipe
This is the ultimate gingerbread biscuit recipe for me. It’s firm with a great snap and has a rich spicy ginger flavour with a toffee like taste from the treacle and dark muscovado sugar. Perfect for decorating for Christmas but also a tasty and comforting treat for any time of the year. I used the recipe over at Odlums for gingerbread men but changed a few ingredients, I subbed the golden syrup for treacle and light muscovado for dark for a richer flavour.
How long do gingerbread biscuits last?
These biscuits can be kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Why did my biscuits crack?
If your gingerbread cracked or came out bumpy like some of mine did, there’s two things that could have gone wrong. Either your oven temperature was too high, which creates cracking, or your dough hasn’t been sufficiently mixed. In my case, I had some small pieces of sugar that hadn’t been totally mixed in and created small bumps and cracks.
Why did my biscuits come out soft?
Don’t panic! 🙂 The biscuits will come out soft when they are straight out of the oven. They will harden up as they cool. If, after cooling for at least 20 minutes, they are still totally soft, it’s likely you have under baked them. Next time, increase the baking time by 4-5 minutes.
Can I build a gingerbread house with these?
You sure can! Draw out a template on paper or download one and cut your dough to shape. You just need to make sure they are fully cooked and dried out. Decrease your oven temperature by 10-15°c and increase baking time by a further 5-10 minutes. For large pieces, be really mindful that they don’t burn and make sure to check every few minutes to see how they’re getting on and adjust temperature as necessary. When baked, make sure to wait at least an hour and until they are absolutely fully cooled before decorating or assembling.
So how do I make gingerbread biscuits from scratch?
It’s a super easy process. It begins with beating together the butter, sugar and treacle. You then add the egg and beat well. Followed then by the flour and spices. Knead gently, form a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to your desired thickness. I made these ones with the same thickness you would if rolling out pastry, like you would in this Chocolate Tart Recipe. Bake and allow to cool before taking off the tray.
Gingerbread Biscuits
Ingredients
- 75 grams butter room temperature
- 75 grams dark muscovado sugar
- 50 grams treacle
- 1 egg yolk
- 250 grams plain flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and treacle until soft and creamy.
- Add in the egg yolk and beat well.
- Add in flour and spices and mix together until a dough forms.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to form a ball. Place onto clingfilm and wrap the dough up well. Pop into the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 170°c (340°f).
- Take the dough out of the fridge and cut in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough thinly, about the same thickness as if you were rolling out pastry.
- Using a cutter with your desired shape, (I used a round one) cut all of the dough and transfer for a lined baking tray.
- Continue until all the dough is used. Take the leftover dough and roll into a ball gently. Let it rest for a few minutes before rolling it out again.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, making sure to turn them halfway through. Allow to fully cool before removing from the tray, they will be soft while still hot.
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