For me, freshly baked gingerbread cookies are essential to the true smell of Christmas.
They belong in each household which celebrates this time of year. The first recipes for gingerbread are already over 1000 years old. Gingerbread makes for very soft aromatic and delicious cookies. You will be surprised to see that you need 1kg of flour.....just wait, most likely the cookies will be gone in no time. Enjoy! 

Method

To prepare this cookies, you will have to start on the evening before baking.

Mix the flower with cocoa powder in a big bowl. Set aside.

Bring the honey and gingerbread spices to a boil, set aside. Then add butter to it and stir it until the butter melts, let it cool down completely. 

Mix the sour cream with baking soda until it fully dissolves, set aside and let it double it size.

Beat the 3 egg whites until stiff, then start adding one spoon of sugar at the time. Beat it until glossy and thick. Add eggs yolks one at the time.

Add the egg mixture, orange zest, cooled honey and sour cream mix to the flour, mix it gently until all the ingredients are well blended together.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap/film, let it cool in the fridge over night.

Day of baking

Preheat oven to 180°C (350F). Line a big baking tray with baking paper.

Sprinkle some flour on your working surface, take out some of the dough. 
Use you hands to make a ball from your dough, roll it out until about 5mm thick (a bit thicker is better). Cut out the shapes and transfer each on the prepared baking tray, leaving enough space in between to rise.

Whisk 1 egg white a little bit and brush it over the cookies. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until light brown on the bottom. 
Let it cool completely on a cooling rack.

Glaze (optional)

Mix the icing sugar with 3 tablespoons of hot water, add another one if necessary. The mixture should be quite thick. 
Brush it over the cookies and let it dry completely. 

Store the cookies in an airtight container, lined with baking paper. You can add slice of apple to the tin, it will keep the cookies soft for longer. 

 

Ingredients for cookies

  • 1kg all purpose flour
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 1/2cups golden caster sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 200ml 18% sour cream
  • 3 teaspoons baking soda
  • 250g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 400g honey 
  • 4 tablespoons gingerbread spices 
  • zest from one orange
  • 1 egg white lightly beaten for brushing 

 

Glaze

  • 2 1/2cups icing sugar
  • 4 tablespoon of hot water