Christmas Angel Cookies
These angel-shaped spiced cookies are edible Christmas decorations that can be hung on the Christmas tree.
Ingredients
brown sugar
90 g
corn syrup
200 g
ground ginger
1 tsp
ground cinnamon
1 tsp
ground cloves
2 pinches
butter (cut into pieces)
115 g
baking soda
2 tsp
beaten egg
1
all-purpose flour
450 g
egg white (for decoration)
1
powdered sugar (sifted, for decoration)
150 to 200 g
gold and silver dragées (for decoration)
to taste
thin ribbon
to taste
Instructions
1
Make the syrup
Preheat oven to 160°C (Th. 5). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Put brown sugar, corn syrup, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat slowly while stirring until boiling. Remove from heat immediately once the mixture boils.
2
Make the dough
Place butter in a large heatproof bowl. Add the boiling syrup mixture. Add baking soda and stir until the butter is completely melted. Pour in the beaten egg, then add the flour. Mix carefully and knead into a smooth dough.
3
Shape the cookies
Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion out to 3 mm thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Cut out holiday shapes (such as Christmas trees) with cookie cutters, or follow the instructions below to make angels. Poke a hole in each cookie with a bamboo skewer to thread the ribbon through after baking. Place the cookies on the baking sheets.
4
Make angel shapes
To make simple angels: Use a standard round cookie cutter to cut out appropriately sized circles (do not make them too large so they are not too heavy to hang on the tree). Cut two slits on each side of the circle to form the body and two arms (see image). Roll a small piece of dough into a ball for the head, place it on top of the body and press flat with your finger. Place the wings (round side down) on the back of the body and press lightly to adhere.
5
Bake
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6
Decorate
Whip the egg white with a fork. Add powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Put the icing in a piping bag fitted with a piping tip, and pipe simple patterns on the cookies. Sprinkle gold and silver dragées on the icing before it dries. Finally, thread the ribbon through the reserved holes.
