SPICE COOKIE RECIPE

This is a simple and easy spice cookie recipe that is always a crowd favorite around the holidays. They are soft and topped with white chocolate and sugar sprinkles.

This is a recipe that I recently started making around Christmas time a few years ago. It started when my Aunt brought over a different version of these and they were half dipped in white chocolate…amazing! Hi, Aunt Dale!

Since everyone in my house loved them I asked for the recipe. It didn’t take long for me to misplace it :(. I actually lost it twice and felt silly asking again. So I decided to make my own version. My Aunt’s original recipe was a gingersnap type. I decided to make a sugar cookie version with added spices. It took a bit of trial and error to get the recipe right. Since they are not gingersnaps or gingerbread, I just call them spice cookies.

Ever since I had the recipe right it has been a go-to for cookie exchanges and holiday gatherings. I usually dip them halfway in white chocolate or white almond bark and then add sanding sugar sprinkles. Drizzling them all over the top of the cookie for this post was pretty easy, too.

RECIPE TIPS

Chill the dough. These spice cookies come out better when the dough is chilled all the way through before baking. To make the dough ahead of time, wrap it in parchment paper, and then place in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. The frozen dough will last a few months in the freezer. I like to make Christmas cookie dough way ahead of time since the holidays can get so crazy.

If you don’t want to freeze this dough you can wrap it in parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour before baking. I like to shape the cookies and place them in the refrigerator for a few minutes before placing them in the oven.

Allow the cookies to cool completely before coating them in white chocolate or white almond bark. Make sure the white chocolate is set completely before packaging or storing. To help them set, I place them on a parchment-lined plate and place them in the refrigerator for a few minutes. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.

Use confectioners sugar instead of flour to roll out. You can coat your work surface, rolling pin, and the cookie cutters in confectioners sugar. The confectioner’s sugar will act like flour to help prevent sticking without making the cookie too hard.

For this batch in the image, I rolled out and used a simple cut-out cookie cutter. Since they ended up a little on the thin side, I would recommend rolling out the dough to at least 1/4 inch thickness. You can easily roll them into a ball in your hand and slightly flatten and place them on the cookie sheet to bake.

When I have a lot of cookies to make I usually roll them with my hands. This method is a lot easier and the thicker the cookie is the softer it stays, in my opinion. You can make these any size you want. Sometimes I like to make them big so you only need to eat one or two. If I am baking for my kids’ teachers, I make them a little smaller and give them a few more mixed with other cookies.

IS THIS COOKIE RECIPE SIMILAR TO A GINGERSNAP OR SNICKERDOODLE?

A gingersnap obviously has more ginger and usually has a crisp texture. A snickerdoodle is usually made with cinnamon and sugar. This recipe is more like a sugar cookie with spices and has a soft texture. It has recently become one of my all-time favorites for Christmas.

They are also close to a gingerbread cookie. Gingerbread cookies have more ginger and molasses in them. Get my gingerbread recipe here.

Spice Cookies

Print Recipe

A spice cookie recipe with all the flavors of the holidays in an easy roll-out or shape dough.

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Melted white chocolate for drizzling
• white sanding sugar
• confectioners sugar for rolling out dough if rolling out into cutout shapes
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Instructions

• In a medium bowl whisk flour, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar until combined well.
• Add egg and vanilla to sugar and butter and beat until combined.
• Add flour mixture to mixer in thirds (or small amounts) until all dough is combined.
• Remove from mixer and place in parchment paper or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about an hour to chill dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Once chilled, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a clean surface dusted with confectioners sugar and cut out into desired shapes. Or, you can roll dough in your hand into a ball and flatten it slightly. This will form nice enough circles.
• Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies are done when the tops are set and the edges are slightly browned.
• When they are cooled, drizzle them with white chocolate and top with white sanding sugar.

Notes

Traditionally, these cookies are half dipped in white chocolate. I have also dipped them in melted white almond bark and they tasted great.

Servings: 3 Dozen

Author: Amy

These are perfect to leave for Santa.

Looking for more cookie ideas?? TRY Gingerbread Cookies and Snowball Cookies and another version of a spice cookie my Holiday Spice Cookies.

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