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A flat lay shot shows a wooden board line with brown baking paper. On the paper is freshly decorated spiced gingerbread cookies that are shaped as angels and are decorated with dark chocolate and white chocolate and sprinkled with glitter coconut.
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Spiced Gingerbread Cookies - Pihikete Tinitia

These deeply spiced Gingerbread Biscuits are decorated with dark and white chocolate for the ultimate flavour combination.
Course Baking
Cuisine Biscuits
Keyword easy gingerbread cookie recipe, easy gingerbread cookie recipe nz, gingerbread cookies with dark chocolate, soft gingerbread cookies, spiced gingerbread cookies, spiced gingerbread cookies nz
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Chill Time 20 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes
Servings 30 Cookies

Equipment

  • Cookies cutters of your choice

Ingredients

Ginger Biscuits - Pihikete Tinitia

  • ⅔ C (135 g) huka hāura (brown sugar)
  • ⅓ C (115 g) mīere koura (golden syrup)
  • 150 g pata (butter)
  • 2 ¼ C (335 g) puheu parāoa noa (plain flour)
  • 1 tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)
  • 4 tsp tinitia kuoro (ground ginger)
  • 3 tsp hinamona kuoro (ground cinnamon)
  • 2 tsp rau kikini whakauruuru (mixed spice)
  • 1 hēki iti (small egg, size 6)

The Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei

  • 200 g tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate, 50%)

Extra Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei Anō (All Optional)

  • 130 g tiakarete mā (white chocolate)
  • 1 C (80 g) kokonati pūtī (desiccated coconut)
  • 60 g ruireka (sprinkles)

Instructions

Preheat the Oven:

  • Preheat the oven to 170 °C bake setting or 160 °C fan bake setting.

Melt the Butter and Sugar:

  • Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), mīere kōura (golden syrup) and pata (butter) in to a pot and set it over low to medium heat.
  • Āta whakarewaina (gently melt it), stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
  • Leave aside to cool slightly as we prepare the dry ingredients. 

Prepare the Dry Ingredients:

  • Sift the puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana houra (baking soda), tinitia (ginger), hinamona (cinnamon) and rau kikini whakauruuru (mixed spiced) in to a large bowl.
  • Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and pour in the melted butter and sugar mixture.

Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients:

  • Stir well with a wooden spoon until it is roughly incorporated. It will be slightly dry here but do not fear.

Add the Egg:

  • Add the hēki (egg) in to a small cup and lightly beat it.
    Then pour the hēki (egg) in to the spiced dough and mix well.
  • If the dough is quite sticky, put it in the fridge for 10 - 15 minutes and it will thicken.

Roll out the Dough:

  • Line a flat baking sheet with baking paper.
  • Sprinkle over a little bit of puehu parāoa (flour) and add the pokenga (dough) on top of it.
  • Whakaparehe te pokenga (roll out the dough).
    It should be around 1 cm thick.

Cut out the Shapes:

  • Using cookie cutters, cut out the pihikete (cookies), making sure to leave a 2 cm gap between each one for a little bit of rising.
  • Remove the excess dough from around the cookies and repeat the pattern until all of the dough is used.  

Bake the Spiced Gingerbread Cookies:

  • Slide the pihikete (cookies) in to the preheated oven bake for 8 - 12 minutes, deepening on what size and thickness they are.
  • This dough goes a long way, we get about four trays of gingerbread so there are plenty to share. 

Prepare the Dark Chocolate:

  • Chop the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) roughly in to chunks and add it to a heat-proof bowl. 
  • Gently melt it in a bowl sitting over a pot of barely simmering water (around 3 cm deep), making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir occasionally until smooth.
  • You can also do this in 10 - 20 second bursts in the microwave, stir gently after each 10 - 20 seconds.
  • With both melting methods, once the tiakarete (chocolate) is 90% melted, remove it from the heat and stir it gently until it is all melted. 

Decorate the Spiced Gingerbread Cookies:

  • Spread the tiakarete parauri kua rewaina (melted dark chocolate) on to each of the pihikete (cookies).
  • If you are not using the tiakarete mā (white chocolate), add the kokonati (coconut) or ruireka (sprinkles) now.
  • Allow the chocolate to set on the bench or in the fridge for around 10 - 15 minutes.
    If you are using the tiakarete mā (white chocolate), melt it as the cookies set.

Melt the White Chocolate (Optional):

  • Melt the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) in the same manner as the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate).

Finish Decorating the Spiced Gingerbread Cookies:

  • Pipe on the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) with a fine round tip or add it in small additions with a kokoiti (teaspoon).
  • Sprinkle with kokonati (coconut) or ruireka (sprinkles) and then set them in fridge and remove excess with a dry paint brush or pastry brush.

Store the Cookies:

  • Store these in a sealed container in the fridge or in a cool cupboard. 
    They will keep well like this for up to 5 days.