(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)
This post is dedicated to my cousin Eleonora because without her I wouldn’t be able to provide you with photographic proof of my early failures as a baker (or food maker in general, for that matter).
For some reason, the only two times in the past that I’d tried making gingerbread cookies were complete failures. Unfortunately – or fortunately? – I have photos of both! It took me a while to retrieve them but that’s what HDs and FB are here for: to remind us that getting older (usually) means getting smarter. The first time was during Christmas break 2012 with family, I used the first random recipe I found online but for some reason the cookies completely melted in the oven and turned into one huge melty flat “cake” a few mm thick….went straight into the bin. Then, apparently just a few days later in Jan 2013, I used a dinosaur-shaped sandwich-cutter (don’t ask) but I must have rolled the dough too thin because the cookies burned after just a few mins AND the dinosaurs turned into fat walruses. They were just not good. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see these masterpieces.
Therefore I am SO happy to share with you a foolproof recipe for gingerbread cookies.
P.S. I totally need to up my decorating game!!! 😀
SOFT GINGERBREAD MOLASSES COOKIES WITH CASHEW AND CHOCOLATE ICING {vegan}
by Marta Giaccone
Recipe
30 cookies
prep time: 30 mins, cook time: 13 mins, total time: 43 mins + 2 hrs soaking + 20 mins fridge time
Cookies
1 tbsp chia/flaxseeds, ground
3 tbsp water
50 gr coconut oil, solid
75 gr brown sugar
1/3 cup / 110 gr molasses (I used carob)
1 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
1 cup / 250 gr flour (I used spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla
Method
- Combine chia seeds and water in a small bowl, stir and let sit for a few minutes (this will be the “chia egg”.
- Add coconut oil and sugar in a large bowl, cream/mash with a fork until incorporated. Then add chia egg, maple syrup and molasses. Mix.
- In another large bowl sift all dry ingredients, mix, then add to wet ingredients and mix well until fully incorporated, may take a couple of minutes.
- Lay out on a floured surface and knead, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth. Shape into a ball.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Place the ball between two sheets of parchment paper, then roll out into a flat disc about 5 mm/1/4 in thick. Use your men-shaped cookie cutters, or any other cutter, to make the cookies (I found that “dipping” my cutters in flour every couple of cookies made it easier because the dough will still be a bit sticky).
- Transfer the cookies to an oven tray lined with parchment paper as you go. I made two batches of 15 cookies each. Bake cookies for just 13-14 minutes (I have a gas oven that’s quite powerful so I always place the tray in the top rack). Let cool completely on a grate before decorating.
Cashew icing
½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
2 tbsp plant-based milk (or more)
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener
pinch vanilla
pinch salt
Method
- Drain and rinse cashews.
- Blend all ingredients together until a thick cream forms.
- Transfer into a piping bag (I placed a ziploc bag inside a glass, poured the cream and cut out a TINY corner).
- Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, then test your piping skills on the ugliest cookies. When you’re ready, decorate the good ones!
Chocolate “icing”
30-40 gr of good quality dark chocolate
Method
- Melt chocolate over a double boiler, transfer into a piping bag and decorate. The cookies will keep for a few days in a sealed or tin container.
My past masterpieces…
