To create this year’s Stylejuicer Christmas e-card I wanted to try my hand at spicy gingerbread cookies as I had this idea of shooting them on a chalkboard background with icing sugar as snow and a simple message in the centre. Coincidentally my man, the cowboy, is mildly addicted to them and the kids love them too. So after I got a tiny star shaped and a Christmas tree cookie cutter I consulted my lovely American neighbour Andrea who had just the recipe for me.

I know I can always rely on her as she’s the best baker I know by a mile (sorry Bobs, you’re a close second) and with her own adaptions and subsitutions of this classic American recipe by Anne Disrude they make for perfect Christmas cookies. I have to say they really are sublime and well worth shopping for all the slightly out of the ordinary ingredients and also make great little gifts.

Now, as much as I want to start a traditional Christmas baking day with the kids I have to admit that I did the gingerbread cookies on the sly whilst the kids were napping. With all the photographing equipment and general mess I felt it would have just been too temping for little fingers to interfere and god knows what might have happened. Suffice to say I think I would have come out a lot worse than the kids.

But I’m doing another batch soon with some dough I froze and I’ll allow the kids run wild and just hope for the best.

SPICY GINGERBREAD COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup brown muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup ground ginger (I did a less spicy option and used 2/3 ground ginger and 1/3 ground cinnamon all adding up to 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
200g unsalted butter
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses (or black treacle)
4 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons low-fat (2%) milk (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl. combine the sugar, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Add the butter and, with an electric mixer, beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat in the maple syrup and molasses. Beat in the flour 1 cup at a time. Only stir in the milk if the dough is too dry.

Divide the dough into four equal portions. Shape into bricks, wrap well in cling film, and refridgerate for at least a day and up to three days to mellow the flavours.

Remove the dough from the refridgerator 30 minutes before rolling. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) Lightly butter two baking sheets, or use non-stick sheets. Cut cookies whichever way you fancy and bake for 9-11 minutes until they are just beginning to brown at the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool.

This dough freezes beautifully, so you can bake some and freeze the rest for later. Wrap well and freeze up to two months. The cookies will keep up to one month in an airtight container.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

Photography | Annie Kruse