Ever wake up on Halloween morning and realize that you don't have time to head to the shops but also don't have any treats for trick or treaters. These easy to make Gingerbread Halloween Cookies are ideal to make either just for the kids or even with the kids. I've struggled over the years to find a Gingerbread Recipe that will not spread and actually hold itself together especially when there are details but last Christmas I experimented and perfected a recipe I had tried many times for our gingerbread snowflakes.
The dough makes around 20 large sized shaped cookies I used a traditional gingerbread man cookie cutter and then a Halloween set for our ghost, pumpkin and tombstones. One thing with last minute bakes like this I need to have all of the ingredients in the house and although I have
One thing with last minute bakes like this I need to have all of the ingredients in the house and although I have black treacle and golden syrup in the cupboards (I do love traditional gingerbread bread loaf) these can be made with light corn syrup or molasses. Using light corn syrup will give a lighter colour to the gingerbread and molasses a darker. If like many children your kids aren't fond of ginger then switch out for half ginger and half cinnamon and you have a lighter tasting
If like many children your kids aren't fond of ginger then switch out for half ginger and half cinnamon and you have a less intense flavour that I'm sure like mine your kids will love.
When it comes to decorating these - I'm not a great cookie decorator I know I should be using Royal Icing but it's not something that I keep at home - and using raw eggs in icing I'm not sure of with giving the cookies to kid so I use an easy to make icing. However, you can use and Red Ted Art has a great tutorial on how to make Royal Icing as well as how to decorate cookies professionally.
But my icing has 2 ingredients - icing sugar (confectioners sugar) and water and then food colouring where needed. Yes, it's simple but it works and that is what counts. With food colouring - you need to avoid liquid food colouring as this will dilute the icing making it flow off of the cookies, but also it often tastes bad instead I use Sugarflair Food Colouring which I get online from Amazon or in the local Cake decorating shop.
A few years ago I switched out my piping bag or I should say Ziploc bag for a piping syringe set which I use for decorating cupcakes and cookies with the kids. It's a little less messy and easier to clean as it goes in the dishwasher.
Halloween Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 350 g Plain Flour All Purpose in the USA
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger Switch for 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger and 1/2 Cinnamon for a less gingery gingerbread
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 115 g Softened Butter Cubed
- 175 g Soft Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Black Treacle
- 1 medium Egg
For the icing
- 100 g Powdered Sugar Icing Sugar or Confectioners Sugar
- Water
- Food Colouring
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven to 190C
- Sieve the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl
- Mix together
- Add in the cubed butter
- Using fingertips combine the butter with the dry ingredients for a breadcrumb like consistency
- Make a well in the centre and add in the egg and black treacle
- Combine and knead to a firm dough
- If the mixture isn't combining add a little milk till it does
- Lightly Flour the surface
- Split the dough in half and roll out to around 5mm thick
- Cut out the shapes
- Place the Cookie Shapes onto a lined baking tray
- Put the cookies in for between 5 and 10 minutes
- Remove when golden brown and leave to cool
Icing your cookies
- Sieve the confectionery sugar into a bowl
- Add in a little water till you have a thick consistency but not too stiff. This needs to be able to flow but not spread!
- Fill up a piping Syringe or bag with a small nozzle and decorate your cookies how you wish
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Cerys Parker
Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, high school teacher and mum. Realising that life doesn't have to be put on hold and you don't just have to survive whilst the kids are young she shares ideas to inspire you to LIVE with the kids, with activities to do together, recipes to cook and enjoy and family travel to make memories to last a lifetime.
R&R says
Cerys,
Look these Halloween coookies! Great activity for a relaxed fall night in.