Baking to do.
If you are anything like me, you have 101 things to be getting on with at this time of year, so I will try to keep this short! Of course, one of those things includes baking and at this time of year, besides anything and everything mincemeat, it has to be cookies! Dreaming of the delicious aromas that fill the kitchen when baking cookies is enough to make me want to make some right now. If you’re yet to try your hand at cookies, add it to your list!
The Cookie Recipes
I have two spiced cookie recipes for you, both of which I have shared before, but as they are so good, I wanted to keep them the same!
Firstly, a delicious Pepparkaka cookie. Although the recipe is slightly complicated, this will give you a deeply spiced crisp and crunchy cookie.
- 60 g vegetable spread we used vitalite
- 85 g coconut sugar
- 30 g coconut nectar (or syrup/treacle/molasses)
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 teaspoons chickpea (gram) flour
- 2 teaspoons water
- just under 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 + teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- small pinch ground white pepper
- pinch salt
- 150 g plain flour (gluten free if required) plus extra for rolling.
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Melt the butter, sugar and nectar together until the sugar dissolves (we used the microwave). Remove from the heat source.
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Add the bicarbonate of soda and mix well (it might fizz or bubble a bit).
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Mix the gram flour with the water until you have a smooth paste, add this to the mix.
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Add the spices, salt and flour and mix well.
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Collect the dough into a ball, put in a shallow bowl or plate and flatten, cover with greaseproof paper / a wax wrap / silicon cover (or cling-film if you still use it)! Put in the fridge for a minimum of 2.5 hours.
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Grease and dust, or line a baking tray. Get plenty of flour ready, a rolling pin (or your hands and a palette knife), and shape cutters. If you have a thin flexible chopping board, these are great for rolling on. Dust your work space liberally with flour.
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Pinch a small piece off the dough from the fridge, roll out as thinly as possible (1-2mm if you can) then cut shapes. Place on your prepared baking tray.
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Bake at Gas Mark 5 (375f / 190c) for just FIVE minutes! Check and bake for an extra minute or two IF required. Remove from the oven and carefully remove from the tray as quickly as possible. They will appear soft but harden quickly. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container as soon as possible.
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Repeat with the remaining dough as and when required!
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Enjoy!
- Use any shaped cutters you like – stars, hearts, circles or snowmen, santas, reindeer – see which work best.
- You can ice these after baking to give them a more festive look.
- Vary the thickness of the biscuits (keep all the same thickness for one bake) to find which works best for you.
- Dough stores in the fridge for up to a week.
- Biscuits should keep fresh for up to 4 weeks in an airtight container.
- Take the pepper out if you really can’t imagine using it – maybe add a sprinkle of cardamom powder instead.
- Bake to order! This amount of dough makes a lot of biscuits!
- Use the biscuits as a dessert base – add natural yogurt (or even ice cream) and a fruity topping (such as cherry, orange, mango).
The second recipe is a much easier version of a ginger biscuit, but still tasty!
A simple gingerbread recipe using basic storecupboard ingredients.
- 55 g coconut sugar (ground to a fine powder)
- 110 g butter (I used Vitalite)
- 170 g plain flour (GF if required)
- 1+ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of ground cloves
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Mix the sugar and butter together.
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Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
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Form a cohesive dough. Put in the fridge. Tidy up and get your trays and cutters ready.
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Roll (or press) the dough out to about 0.5cm thick, cut shapes and place on tray. If you have space, put the tray of shapes in the fridge while you work with the rest of the dough.
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Bake at Gas 4 (350f / 180c) for 7-8 minutes. They will lift easily from the tray but still be soft. The colour should be slightly darker than when you put them in. Remove onto a wire rack. Allow to cool.
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Decorate as desired – use icing, sweets, chocolate or edible glitter.
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Enjoy!
What do I need?
Hopefully you have everything you need to fill your house with the delicious aroma of these cookies! If you feel like treating yourself (or getting someone else to treat you)! here are a few useful things for this recipe. I receive a small commission if you click and purchase through these links (this is at no additional cost to you)!
Serving
You can ice your cookies, or leave them plain. Make holes in your cookies, thread with twine and hang on the tree. You could even wrap them in paper and give as a gift. Or, you could just sit down in front of the fire, with a cup of hot chocolate and munch away!
Storage
These cookies will store quite well in an airtight container for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to three months. You can also make the dough ahead of time, wrap it up and place in the fridge until needed. If freezing, portion or separate with greaseproof paper, label and freeze (& bookmark this page for cooking instructions).
Sharing
I hope you add ‘make cookies’ to your to do list! I love seeing your adaptions and interpretations of my recipes and I’d love to see your cookie photos – especially if you’re decorating them! Please share and tag me @LifeDietHealth or using #LifeDietHealth on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.
Leave me a comment below… I love to chat!
I hope to speak with you soon
Laurena x
