Soft butter makes the most delicious and fluffy gingerbread cookies, with a rich buttery taste and orange aromas.
Materials for 60 cookies:
For the cookies
150 g brown sugar
250 g Golden Syrup
150g butter
1 tsp. powdered ginger
3 tsp. cinnamon powder
½ tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking soda
One medium free-range egg, beaten
550 g all-purpose flour, sifted
One pinch of salt
For the peeled orange
One orange
50 g icing sugar
100ml water
For the white icing (Royal Icing)
Three egg whites
500 g icing sugar
Procedure
Step 1
For the biscuits, Melt the sugar, syrup, and butter in a small saucepan. Add the spices and baking soda, stirring well. Allow the mixture to cool, then stir in the eggs, flour, and salt.
Step 2
Knead the dough to form a smooth ball and divide it into two round balls. Wrap them in cling film and let them rest for an hour in the fridge.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas. Roll out the pastry to about 3-4 mm thick on a floured surface. Cut out round shapes with a 5 cm biscuit cutter. Place the round pieces of pastry on a baking tray lined with baking paper, collect the excess pastry and roll it out again. Continue until all the pastry is used.
Step 4
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, let them cool on the baking sheet until crisp, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Step 5
For the Caramelized Orange Zest, Cut the orange peel and place it in a small saucepan with sugar and water. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, adding water if the peel becomes dry. Remove the peel from the sugar, set aside, and let it cool. Cut it into small pieces and place them on a sheet of parchment paper for future use.
Step 6
For the white icing: Beat the egg whites until slightly foamy. Add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, beating until all is incorporated into the mixture. Continue beating until the icing is smooth, glossy, and thick enough to form stiff peaks when you lift the wire.
Step 7
Assemble the cookies: Place the white icing in a large bowl, dip the cookies halfway into the mixture, and use a small spatula to scrape the icing off the back and sides of the cookies. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper.
Step 8
Place the small pieces of caramelised orange zest in the powdered sugar before it sets. Let the cookies rest for about an hour before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe by Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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