I don’t have much patience in life, yet when it comes to baking, I’m a Penelope in the kitchen. I admit that decorating isn’t my strong point, but when it comes to cookies for the Xmas tree, it’s enough that they’re colorful and cute.
This recipe makes these cookies slightly spicy and crunchy. They certainly won’t last for many weeks, but they make breakfasts, or the Christmas tree, fantastically sweet.

Christmas Cookies

  • Preparation time: 15 minutes + rest in the fridge + baking
  • For 4-5 cookie sheets of various sizes (about 70 cookies)
  • Difficulty: Average difficult recipeX

  • Ingredients
  • 180 grams of butter
  • 180 grams of brown sugar
  • 60 grams of granulated sugar
  • 60 grams of eggs
  • 360 grams of all-purpose flour
  • 5 grams of cinnamon
  • 5 grams of grated ginger
  • 2 grams of nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • For the decoration:
  • 10 grams of meringue
  • 110 grams of powdered sugar
  • 10-20 grams of water
  • Colored sprinkles to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. In a bowl, mix the butter, the brown sugar and the granulated sugar until fluffy and the sugar has completely dissolved.
  3. Add the egg, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
  4. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold them into the dough. Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 4 cm. Refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  6. Using Christmas cookie cutters, cut out the cookies. Place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spaced well apart.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven for about fifteen minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
  9. Cut the meringue with a mixer. Add the powdered sugar and enough water to create a soft but firm cream.
  10. Once the cookies are cool, decorate them with the icing and sprinkles, if desired.
  11. Let the icing dry for at least ten minutes.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • If you prefer, you can use more or less of the spices according to your taste.
  • Baking times are approximate because every oven bake differently.
  • The icing must remain nice and white. The meringue icing is a recipe I borrowed from Paola Freschi. It’s incredibly convenient because it’s quick and easy to make, without the need for pasteurized egg whites sold in cartons. Ancient, homemade recipes always use eggs very casually. Today, we’re much more careful about salmonella.