Shortbread and Gingerbread Christmas Cookie Recipes

’Tis the season to bake, share and enjoy these crunchy, delicious cookies

Orange Candied Ginger Shortbread

Makes approximately 24 cookies (depending on the size of cutter)

Ingredients

• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsps orange zest
• 4 Tbsps crystalized ginger, finely chopped
• coarse sugar for garnish

Method

1. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch and salt. Add orange zest and ginger and rub it into the flour with your hands.
3. Add to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to roll out (approximately 30 minutes).
5. Preheat oven to 325˚F.
6. On a floured surface roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick. Cut out with desired cutter. The cookie cut-outs can be sprinkled with coarse sugar at this point, if desired.
7. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool.

Pastry chef tip: These cookies taste delicious half-dipped in dark chocolate.

Recipe courtesy of Culinary Capers, Vancouver-based catering and event-planning specialists

Gingerbread Cookies

Makes 2 dozen (depending on size of cutter)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup blackstrap molasses
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 1½ tsps ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 2 Tbsps baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Bring molasses, brown sugar and spices to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, remove from heat.
2. Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter a few pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more, until all the butter is melted.
3. Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in flour and salt.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle. Halve the dough and roll out each half to ¼-inch thick.
5. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Chill for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 325˚F. Bake cookies for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely then decorate as desired.

Pastry chef tip: Take a gingerbread man cookie cutter and turned it around to make these cute reindeer heads. Use royal icing, metallic edible glitter and sprinkles to decorate.

Royal Icing

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 3¼ cups (or more) icing sugar (sifted)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp strained fresh lemon juice
• assorted food colourings (optional)

Method

1. Using an electric mixer, beat icing sugar and egg whites until thick and shiny, adding additional icing sugar by tablespoonfuls if mixture is too thin to spread (about 3 minutes). Add lemon juice.
2. Divide icing into portions, if desired, and add different food colouring to each. Cover until ready to use.

Pastry Chef tip: For thinner icing for dipping, add a little bit of water, a teaspoon or so at a time to get the desired consistency. To thicken your icing for piping, sift in more icing sugar until you get the desired thickness.

Recipe courtesy of Culinary Capers, Vancouver-based catering and event-planning specialists