Cookies, Dessert, Holiday Treats, Lactose Free, Recipes

Hawaiian-Style Gingerbread Cookies

December 19, 2023

These cuties are a real treat that I make just once a year. Christmas is close, but you still have time to whip up a small (or large) batch of these crunchy gingerbread cookies. Decorating the cookies is a blast! Both children and adults will be delighted to receive a homemade gingerbread cookie this holiday season.

Through the years of making these cookies I have used several different recipes. This recipe makes delicious cookies that are thin and crispy. It’s a large recipe that will make approximately 45 cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter used. This year I tried Sally’s recipe that uses unsalted butter instead of shortening (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks to make it lactose free) and a larger amount of spices. It makes just about 22 gingerbread cookies which is exactly what I wanted this year. The cookies turned out great. I rolled them out a bit thinner than the recipe calls for and baked them longer so that my cookies would be crispy all the way through. If you prefer softer cookies roll them out as the original recipe instructs you to. When rolled out a bit thinner, they turned out to be similar in texture to the original recipe I used in the past so either option works great. Just keep in mind that the dough for both recipes needs to be refrigerated overnight to firm up before rolling out. Kudos to Sally for her always reliable recipes!

As mentioned in this post, I used pasteurized egg whites for the icing in the past. Last year I discovered (late in the game) meringue powder. It’s easier to use and can be easily stored for more cookies next year.

I hope you have the chance to make a small batch of these adorable cookies this holiday season.

Mele Kalikimaka from my kitchen to yours.

Hawaiian-Style Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe by Kiyo

Servings

servings

Recipes adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction blog

Ingredients

440g (3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour (if you do not have a scale use the spoon and level method to measure the flour) + more for rolling
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (use a scant 1/2 teaspoon if using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks as they contain some salt)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
145g (10 tablespoons) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g (3/4 cup) packed light or dark brown sugar
200g (2/3 cup) unsulphured molasses such as Brer Rabbit or Grandma’s brand)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Royal Icing & Decorating
240g (2 cups) powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
5 tablespoons room temperature water
Assorted sugar sprinkles
Currants for gingerbread cookie eyes

Directions

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium-high until combined and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the egg and vanilla on high speed for a full 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. You may use a firm spatula if the dough is too thick for the hand mixer. Once the ingredients are combined, divide the dough (it will be very soft) into 3 even portions and place on separate pieces of plastic wrap and wrap tightly patting gently to form into disk shapes. Transfer disks to a ziplock bag. Chill dough thoroughly for at lest 4 hours and preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position racks in the middle and lower third level (just below the middle). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Meanwhile, place the dough disks in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. This will make rolling and cutting the cookies much easier if you are making thin and crispy cookies or if you live in a warm climate.
Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and flour it generously. Remove 1 disk from the freezer and place on the parchment paper. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the top of the dough disk as well as the rolling pin. For thin cookies roll dough just under 1/4-inch. For softer cookies roll dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes and transfer to the baking sheets leaving 2-inches of space between them. Transfer dough scraps to the freezer to firm up.
Transfer the cookie sheets to the oven racks (positioned as mentioned above) and bake for 12-14 minutes for crispy cookies (cookies larger than 4-inches), rotating cookie sheets from front to back as well as switching shelves halfway through baking time. For smaller cookies bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. For thinner cookies check doneness after they have baked for 11 minutes as oven temperatures can vary quite a bit. For smaller cookies check after they have baked for 8 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Continue with the remaining dough. Decorate cookies once they are completely cool. I make my cookies up to 3 weeks in advance and freeze until I am ready to pass them out.
Royal Icing & Decorating Cookies
Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl with high sides. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed for 1 1/2-2 minutes. If the icing is too thin, add more sugar and if too thick, add a bit of water. This recipe will make enough icing for 35+ medium sized cookies. If you plan to decorate with minimal icing on your cookies, cut the recipe in half.
Transfer icing to a small plastic squeeze bottle for easy application and outlining. Use various colors of sprinkles to make your cookies look fantastic! Allow icing to set completely before transferring cookies to storage containers. Freezing is the best method to keep cookies fresh if not passing out the day they are baked.

Cookies, Dessert, Holiday Treats, Recipes

Gingerbread Cookies & Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

December 16, 2022

There’s still time to bake a batch of crispy gingerbread cookies to give away this holiday season. If you’re pressed for time as I was this year, cut the recipe in half. This way you won’t feel overwhelmed having 50+ cookies staring at you begging to be decorated one by one. I made 22 cookies which turned out to be the perfect amount this year.

I used meringue powder for the royal icing instead of pasteurized egg whites. About 5 years ago, Foodland sold pasteurized eggs by the dozen but discontinued carrying them. I could not find them anywhere else so I began to pasteurize my own eggs with our sous vide machine. As I was reading different royal icing recipes, I noticed that meringue powder is often used in place of egg whites. What did I learn after using it for the first time? It is incredibly easy to whip up a bowl of royal icing in just 3 minutes or so using a handheld mixer with a whisk attachment. The icing is smooth and sets perfectly. I’m now sold on using meringue powder for all future recipes that include royal icing. It saves me a lot of time not having to pasteurize eggs. You can find meringue powder online or at Walmart.

These chocolate covered pretzel rods are a lot of fun to make. I am not posting a recipe because you really don’t need one. Gather your ingredients: semisweet or dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, assorted sprinkles, red food coloring (for pink frosting), and pretzel rods. A small butter knife helps to spread and smooth the chocolate on the pretzel. Have everything ready to go before you melt the chocolate. Start with 1 cup of chocolate chips and microwave in a medium bowl on 50% power for 30 seconds. It won’t look like the chips have melted but give it a stir then repeat for another 30 seconds (always use 50% power or the chocolate may burn). Stir again, and repeat once more. By now, most of the chips will have melted. Stir the chocolate so all the remaining chips melt. Now you are ready to decorate your pretzel rods with your assorted sprinkles. If the chocolate hardens and is difficult to use, microwave on 50% power for 20 seconds or so to soften it. Sprinkles seem to go every which way when you use them. To keep things a bit tidy, use a sheet pan when decorating the pretzels. The sprinkles will (mostly!) be contained in the pan and not end up on the floor. Another tip is to line a small tray or pan with parchment or wax paper and place it in the refrigerator. Each time you decorate a pretzel, place it on the pan. The cool temperature helps to set the chocolate quickly so that there is less chance of drooping chocolate. You can buy pretzel rod packages online. They make for a nice presentation when giving these away as gifts. These cute pretzel rods can be made for all types of occasions, such as Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, or any other celebratory occasion. I found that Walmart has the widest variety of sprinkles, however, they may be low on stock since Christmas is just around the corner. Lee Bear in Kahului also has a nice selection of sprinkles and assorted bags for packaging your sweets. I decorate the pretzels up to 2 weeks in advance and freeze them in an airtight container then package them before giving away.

Happy holidays from my kitchen to yours!

Recipes

Gingerbread Cookies

December 8, 2019

The holiday season is here again and that means everyone is baking all kinds of delectable treats to share with family, friends and co-workers. It’s an annual tradition for me to make these gingerbread cookies. I set a weekend date in early December to make these so I don’t feel rushed later in the month. Once all of the cookies are baked and cooled, I pull up a stool to the counter and start decorating each cookie. Once I’m done decorating, the cookies are stored in sealed bags in the freezer until I am ready to pass them out. They are so much fun to make!

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies

December 19, 2018

It’s the holiday season again, and there’s still time to whip up some crispy Hawaiian style gingerbread cookies before Christmas. My original post of this recipe was back in December 2013 and I have been making these cookies many years prior to that date, and every year since. My mom used to make gingerbread cookies for her students every Christmas. It was in my Manoa home where I learned to love these guys. It takes a day to bake and decorate these cookies but I find joy in giving them away to family and friends each holiday season. Who can resist a gecko, a pineapple, or hula dancing gingerbread cookie? So if you have a bit of time this week, make a small batch of these cookies. Here is my original post. This year I made two-thirds of the recipe because I was short on time. Make the dough the night before you bake the cookies. This way, you can start baking as soon as the sun comes up.

Mele Kalikimaka!

Cookies, Dessert, Recipes

Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies ~ Hawaiian Style

December 15, 2013

‘Tis the season to dig out the cookie cutters that are tucked away in the cupboard. Almost every holiday season I set aside a full day to bake and decorate gingerbread cookies. Of course I have to eat at at least one or two of these crunchy cookies, before packaging them up to give away to friends and family.

After baking the cookies, I grab a stool and sit at my kitchen counter and decorate the cookies. Now I can see why my mom (who was a school teacher) asked me to help her decorate her gingerbread cookies (she made them for her young students). Depending on how many cookies you bake, it may take a full day from start to finish.

The recipe for these cookies came from my husband’s Aunt Frieda. I’m not certain where she found it (the original recipe is entitled “Gingersnaps”). The dough is a bit tricky to work with because it’s quite soft. Chilling the dough well in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, then a brief stay in the freezer helps to firm it up a bit. It’s better to use smaller cookie cutters that have simple outlines. My gecko cutter is pushing the limit!

Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies

Makes about 45 cookies

Update 12/15/18: I have a new oven and found that that my cookies take about 14-15 minutes to bake to ensure a crispy cookie. The cookies should cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely before decorating.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shortening

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup strong hot coffee

1 cup molasses

7 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation

Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly in a very large bowl. I find it best to use a firm spatula or wooden spoon and cut the shortening into the sugar. It will make it easier to cream together the two ingredients.

Pour the molasses into a 2 cup measuring cup or bowl and add the hot coffee. Stir to combine then add to the creamed mixture. Stir well.

Sift dry ingredients together and gradually add to the liquid mixture. Stir well to combine ingredients. The dough will be quite soft however you can add a bit more flour if you feel it needs it. Divide dough into 5 pieces, pat into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight for convenience. Place the chilled dough disks in the freezer for about 15 – 30 minutes prior to rolling the dough. Then remove them one at a time to roll out.

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. The original recipe calls for 350 degrees however my oven seems to run hotter than it should.

Tear off large pieces of waxed paper to roll the dough on. Flour the paper and roll the dough thin, about 1/8 inch thick. I flour my rolling pin often too. Remove the extra pieces of dough around the cut outs and form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and place back in the freezer to use later. To transfer cut out shapes to cookie sheet, simply place your hand over the cut out and lift the waxed paper up and gently flip the cookie onto your hand loosening the edge of the dough from the waxed paper. Carefully turn your hand over placing the cut out dough on to the cookie sheet. Once the dough is on the cookie sheet, it can’t be moved so do your best to space the dough so that you can fit others on the pan making use of most of the space. It takes a bit of practice but it works. I usually roll out enough dough for 4 gingerbread men on one piece of waxed paper. Start with a new piece of waxed paper each time you roll out the dough and remember to lightly flour it.

Bake the cookies for about 12 – 14 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through the baking process and check for doneness after 12 minutes. The cookies should have a nice dark brown color. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 – 10 minutes until they firm up and can be easily transferred with a spatula to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before decorating.

Icing & Decorating

4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

3 egg whites (I use pasteurized eggs)

3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Assorted cookie sprinkles

Currants

Combine all ingredients and stir well. If the icing is too thin, add more sugar. If the icing is too thick, add a few drops of water or lemon juice. Place icing in a squeeze bottle with a narrow tip. Start decorating!

Cookies can be stored in a air tight container at room temperature for a day or two, after which they should be frozen in Ziplock bags. They can also be sealed individually in cellophane bags as gifts.