Austrian Gingerbread Cookies Recipes

AUSTRIAN GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Blend sugar, eggs, honey, butter, rum, spices and lemon zest. Cover this mix and let it rest for 12 hours in the fridge.
• Dissolve baking soda in the milk. Blend with the spice mix. Add nuts, and mix well. Add flour and thoroughly knead the dough.
• Preheat the oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 5.
• Roll out the dough, about 1 cm thick. Use cookie cutters to create cookies and put them on a baking tray (lined with parchement paper). Apply a thin layer of egg onto the cookies. Optional: Put chopped walnuts or small pieces of dried fruit on top. Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes (they should remain light in colour). Let cool.
• Store gingerbread cookies in an air-tight container. They will keep for several weeks. If they get hard, add a slice of apple to soften them.

MARIA PUCK'S HOLIDAY SPICE GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Creaming butter and sugar: In a heavy-duty stand mixer at medium speed, beat the butter, both sugars, and the salt until blended and light, scraping down the bowl occasionally.
• Beating in spices, egg & molasses: Gradually beat in the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ground ginger, egg, molasses, and fresh ginger.
• Beating in flour & baking soda: Sift the flour and baking soda onto a large sheet of parchment paper. With the mixer at low speed, gradually pour the flour mixture into the creamed mixture and continue beating just until fully incorporated and smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl and the beater.
• Chilling the dough: Empty half the dough from the mixing bowl onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a flat rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap up securely. Repeat with the second half. Chill in the refrigerator until cold and firm, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Making the icing: Put the egg whites in a medium bowl, reserving the yolks for another use. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk until blended. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time, until the icing is smooth and thick but still fluid. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Shaping the cookies: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. With a sharp knife, cut a rectangle of dough into 1-inch cubes. Roll each cube between your palms to form even balls, placing them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet; or use a 1-inch-diameter scoop to form the balls.
• Baking the cookies: Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until nicely puffed on top, well browned on the bottom, and firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Leave on the baking sheets to cool briefly before decorating.
• Decorating the cookies: Fill a disposable plastic pastry-decorating bag or a sealable plastic sandwich bag with the icing and snip off a corner. Gently squeeze the bag to pipe the icing over the warm cookies in any design you like. Leave the cookies on the sheets to cool completely before serving.

AUSTRIAN JAM COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and egg yolk; mix until fluffy. Stir in the flour, and refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F ( 150 degrees C ). Grease cookie sheets.
• Measure out the dough by teaspoonfuls, and roll into balls. Dip the balls into chopped almonds and set on the prepared cookie sheet 1 inch apart. With a finger, make an indention in each cookie, fill the indention up with jam using a teaspoon or a pastry bag. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, cookies should be golden brown. Remove from pan after baking to cool on a wire rack.

GINGERBREAD CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 4 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Tint some of the frosting red and some green; leave remaining frosting plain. Decorate cookies.