Egg-less Butter-less Gingerbread Cookie Recipe - Christmas Cookies

Christmas being just around the corner, everyone is in a festive mood. Food plays an important role in any festival and Christmas is no exception to it. In fact for many people, it is not Christmas without cookies and fruit cakes. One such cookie which is specially made during this time of the year is the gingerbread cookie.

For those who have not heard about these cookies , Gingerbread cookies are basically ginger and spice flavored sweet biscuits. They are usually made using flour, eggs, butter, ground spices and molasses. The dough so formed is refrigerated until it becomes easy to handle. It is then rolled out into thin sheets and cut into Christmas themed shapes using various cookie cutters and then baked. 

I have referred this recipe from Culinary Xpress by Alka Jena. Have made few changes in the recipe and replaced refined four with whole wheat flour and Finger-millet(ragi) flour to make it a healthy affair. You can use whole wheat flour alone as well. The recipe is egg free , butter free and without the use of molasses. I did not have the gingerbread man cookie cutter so have managed with a basic star shape. Icing is optional as the cookies taste good even without it. If you wish you can simply dust the cookies with powdered sugar.

                             

The Gingerbread cookies turned out to be delicious ,  soft at the center, crispy at the edges and perfectly spiced. The freshly ground spices like Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Cloves compliment very well with the otherwise sweet cookies. These ginger and spice flavored cookies are perfect festive treats for winters. Kids will love them for sure.

So try out these easy Gingerbread cookies and while you do so , you will thank me for the wonderful aroma of spices which fills your house. All you need is some patience and time to treat your loved ones with these Christmas cookies :)

                             

• Yield : 60 Mini cookies
• Preparation time: 1 hour
• Cooking time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients: Measurement- 1 cup = 200 ml

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup Ragi Flour
• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup powdered Jaggery
• ½ teaspoon Baking powder
• Pinch of Salt

 Spices

• 1 tablespoon ground Ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground Cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground Cinnamon

Royal Icing:

• 1/4 cup Icing Sugar 
• 1-2 teaspoon Milk

Method:

1. In a bowl sift both the flours with spice powders, baking powder and salt. Keep aside.

   2. In another bowl take sugar and oil and mix well. 

  3. Dissolve the powdered jaggery in 3 tablespoon of water and add it to the bowl of sugar and oil. Blend well with a wire whisker.

   4. Gradually stir in dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and blend well. Gather the dough and wrap in a cling film. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

  5.  Remove the dough and place a portion of it on a working surface lined with parchment paper. Roll out into a ¼ inch thick sheet. Cut the cookies into desired shape using a cutter. 

  6.  Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius .Space cookies 1 inches apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the baking tray in fridge until the oven gets preheated.

  7.    Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes per batch . Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to stand until they are firm enough to move to a wire rack. Repeat the process with rest of the dough.  

    8.  After cookies are cool they can be decorated as desired. For icing, take icing sugar in a bowl and add milk to it to get a thick icing. Put it into the icing bag ( i have used zip lock bag )and decorate the cookies.

If you are looking for more cookie recipes, do check my posts on

• Eggless Coconut Cookies
• Eggless Oatmeal Cookies
• Pineapple Jam Tarts