Gingerbread Biscuits
Crisp, warmly spiced biscuits that hold their shape for cutting, icing and hanging on the tree: the Christmas bake to do with children.
AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Makes
- about 20 biscuits
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Biscuit
- Cuisine
- English
These gingerbread biscuits are made with golden syrup and brown sugar, which gives them a snap at the edges and a little chew in the middle. The dough is firm enough to cut into stars, trees and gingerbread people without spreading.
Make a hole in each before baking and they become tree decorations.
Ingredients
Cups use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart. Weighing is more accurate.
- 350 g plain flour (US: all-purpose flour), plus extra for rolling
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (US: baking soda)
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 125 g cold butter, cubed
- 175 g light soft brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
- icing sugar and water, or ready-made writing icing, to decorate (US: powdered sugar)
Equipment
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Method
- 1
Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a bowl, then rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
- 2
Beat the egg with the golden syrup, add to the bowl and bring together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
- 3
Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4 / 350°F and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- 4
Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 5 mm thick and cut into shapes. Lift onto the trays, leaving a little space between them. For tree decorations, make a hole near the top with a straw.
- 5
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until golden. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then on a wire rack. Decorate with icing once completely cold.
Tips
Star and gingerbread-people biscuit cutters give the classic shapes, and a cooling rack keeps them crisp. Packed in a tin they make a lovely gift from the kitchen.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuits spread and lose their shape | Dough too warm | Chill the dough, and the cut shapes, before baking |
| Too hard | Overbaked or rolled too thin | Take them out when just golden; they firm as they cool |
| Icing runs | Icing too thin, or biscuits still warm | Use thicker icing and decorate only when cold |
Frequently asked questions
How long do gingerbread biscuits keep?
Undecorated, about 2 weeks in an airtight tin. Iced biscuits keep a little less, as the icing softens them.
Can I freeze gingerbread dough?
Yes. Wrap the dough well and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge before rolling.
Can I hang gingerbread on the tree?
Yes: make a hole before baking, then thread with ribbon once cold. Biscuits on the tree are best for decoration rather than eating after a few days.
Guides for this recipe
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Card photos: A wooden rolling pin with handles, Peter Kammer via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Stacked cream-coloured ceramic mixing bowls, RLiverpool2021 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Mince pies baked in a bun tray, Jeremy Keith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A steak and ale pie served with gravy, broccoli and carrot, Andy Li via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; A dark Christmas pudding on a plate, with a jug of custard, James Petts from London, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; A golden, crimped Cornish pasty on a plate, David Johnson [1] via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.