orange and cardamon soft gingerbread cookies

These soft gingerbread cookies have been my Christmas favourite for a while now, ignored by the kids and my powdered ginger avoidant husband. Until now. The kids got into this batch, they didn't last 24 hours, we're making more tomorrow.

There are so many beautiful treats to make for the festive season, here's why these should be up the top of your list...

• orange and cardamom are best friends, so nostalgically festive
• the cookie texture is amazing, soft with a hint of chew
• the cookies are spicy and not overly sweet, balanced perfectly by the sweet orange glaze 
• stamping cookies is so much fun, craft and baking!
• they are just so pretty

I used Nordic ware cookie stamps from Williams Sonoma, they have so many beautiful designs are very easy to use, you'll also need a plain round cutter, the same size, or just larger than the stamp. The smaller cookies I stamped with snowflake plungers then used a plain round cutters to cut them out. I can't remember where I bought them, but a quick google search should provide lots of options :)

cookies

250g plain flour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 to 1 tsp ground cardamom, use the full teaspoon if you love a strong cardamom flavour

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

90g unsalted butter, at room temp

100g brown sugar

100g treacle

1 jumbo egg yolk

zest of an orange, use half here, save half for the glaze

• combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, then sift twice to evenly combine, set aside

• put the butter, brown sugar, orange zest, and treacle into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the treacle last to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Using the paddle beater, mix on medium/low to combine, scraping the bowl a couple of times as you go

• turn the mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly tip in the dry ingredients. Mix until the mixture starts to clump and there are no dry spots in the bowl, tip onto a lightly floured bench and gently knead until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disc, place onto a lightly floured sheet of baking paper, dust the dough disc with flour and roll out to 5mm thick. Slide the dough on its paper onto a baking tray and place into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up

• preheat the oven to 190ºC  (170ºC fan) and line 2 trays with baking paper

• dip your cookie stamp in flour, tap off the excess, and press firmly into the dough, pressing in a circular motion will help for detailed patterns, carefully remove the stamp, then use a circular cutter to cut out the cookie and place on the baking tray, continue with remaining dough, re-roll the excess dough and repeat the stamping process

• bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until they are firm when gently pressed, cool on the tray for 5 minutes  

• while the cookies cool, prepare the glaze, then use a pastry brush to paint the still warm cookies

• allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container. The cookies will keep for 3 days, they'll be good for an additional couple of days, but the glaze may crack and start to fall off, still delicious!

glaze

75g icing sugar

10g butter, melted

zest of half an orange

30-50ml orange juice

• sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the melted butter, orange zest and 1 tablespoon of orange juice, mix until combined and lump free, adding more orange juice as required to give the same consistency as the treacle used in the cookies, use immediately