–
– Cocoa and Ginger Xmas Cookies
Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
Try out these Cocoa and Ginger Cookies this Xmas! They’re a moreish twist on the classic gingerbread cookies. Enjoy! 
When I think of Christmas I think of sweets, chocolates and spice. These biscuits have that holy trinity of Christmas treats.
These cocoa and ginger cookies come together with as little as 8 simple and easy-to-find ingredients + a 2 ingredient vegan icing: just powdered sugar + water, plant milk or a squeeze of lemon juice for an extra kick, you pick!
A light spicing of ginger and bitter chocolate is a very beautiful flavour, one that I had not tried until quite recently but I have fallen in love with it. With a topping of melted icing sugar you not only add sweetness but also give yourself the opportunity to decorate your biscuits.
The possibilities are only as limited as your artistic flair.
It is also a fantastic way to get children involved in the food preparation, why not give them a snowman or a tree to ice? Turn it into a game of who can make the best?
If you do not wish to pipe or lack the confidence to delicately draw piped icing you can just dip them instead or place them on a rack to drizzle over your icing to form an even thin layer, it really doesn’t matter too much.
What matters is the fun you make.
Why not different colours, green for the trees, yellow for the bells and white for the snowmen? Just add a small amount of food colouring to your icing and you’ll be good to go!
I wouldn’t even suggest they make a nice present. Why buy a box of chocolates or biscuits for your grandma when you can make something instead.
I literally have to hide some of the batch otherwise my husband would eat them all within the day.
Cocoa and Ginger Xmas Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
250 g All Purpose Flour
130 g Muscovado Sugar
90 g Vegan Butter
70 g Plant Milk (Soy)
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
1 tbsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or 1/2 sachet vanilla sugar)
1 tsp Baking Soda (Soda Bicarbonate)
Pinch of Salt
…for the royal icing…
200 g Icing Sugar (powdered sugar)
4 tbsp Water (or plant milk)
Method:
1. Melt the vegan butter in a large bowl at bain-marie. Alternatively use the defrost mode of the microwave for 2 minutes.
2. Add muscovado sugar to the melted butter and whisk until the mixture turns soft and fluffy.
3. Add the cocoa powder (sifted), ground ginger, vanilla extract or sugar, baking soda and a pinch of salt. Whisk thoroughly until all incorporated.
4. Pour in room temperature plant milk (or lukewarm) and give the mixture another good whisk till all combined.
5. Finally, sift in the flour and mix it in with a spatula until an uniform dough is formed.
6. Wrap the cookie dough in cling film and set to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or 30 minutes in the freezer if you want to speed up the process).
7. Meanwhile preheat the oven at 180° C (355°F).
8. Once the dough has chilled, dust the working station with a bit of flour, then roll the dough to around 3-5 mm thickness, depending on how crispy and snappy you want your cookies to be, and cut out the cookies.
9. Arrange the cookies on baking trays lined with baking paper. And bake the cookies for 7 to 11 minutes, according to the size you picked. Tip: make sure you separate cookies in similar size groups, as they will need more or less time in the oven. Cookies of 2 cm diameter cook in as little as 7 minutes, while bigger cookies, such as Christmas trees and big snow flakes (5-6 cm size) need up to 11 minutes. When ready, the cookies will brown a little on the edges whilst still be slightly soft to the touch. They will harden whilst cooling down.
10. While the cookies are baking prepare the royal icing by mixing icing sugar with your choice of liquid until you end up with a thick, yet pourable icing. If you want to make coloured icing, divide the mixture into separate bowls and add a few drops of food colourings until the desired shade. Transfer the icing into piping bag(s).
11. Once ready, transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack. Then decorate with the royal icing once they have cooled down.
12. You can store the biscuits in an air-tight container for a couple of weeks (if they last!).
Are you on a Xmas cookie spree? Also try:
– Castagnelle | The Best Italian Christmas Cookies Recipe
– Vegan Canestrelli – Italian Shortbread Cookies
– Vegan Raspberry Linzer Cookies
– Vegan Whipped Cookies
– Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles
– Italian Almond Cookies Made Vegan
– American Style Oat, Cranberries and Raisin Cookies
– Grandma Rosa Greek Cookies
