Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Granulated or Caster Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
  • 4 cups Confectioners' (Icing) Sugar, sifted
  • 3 Tbsp Meringue Powder
  • 6–8 Tbsp Warm Water
  • ½ tsp Lemon Juice or Clear Extract (optional)
  • Gel Food Colouring (As needed)

Instructions:

  1. Cream the Fats and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is visibly light and fluffy (about 3–4 minutes). Scrape down the bowl frequently.
  2. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.
  4. Incorporate Dry Mix: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture on low speed. Mix only until a cohesive dough just forms. Stop immediately when no streaks of flour remain to avoid overworking the dough, which leads to tough cookies.
  5. Divide and Chill (Crucial Step): Divide the dough into two flat discs. Wrap each tightly in cling film. Refrigerate for a minimum of 90 minutes (or up to 2 days). The colder the dough, the better the cookies will hold their shape.
  6. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll the Dough: Lightly flour your work surface and the rolling pin. Roll one disc of dough to a consistent thickness of about 6 mm (¼ inch). Pro Tip: Roll between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid adding excess flour.
  8. Cut and Transfer: Quickly cut out shapes using your festive cutters. Use a thin spatula to carefully transfer the cut dough shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart.
  9. Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are just barely golden, and the centre looks set.
  10. Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Prepare Royal Icing: Combine the sifted icing sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Gradually add the warm water and lemon juice. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 5–7 minutes until the mixture is stiff, glossy, and holds sharp peaks.
  12. Achieve Consistency: Divide the icing into separate bowls for different colours/uses. Piping Consistency should be thick enough to hold its shape. Flooding Consistency requires adding more water until the icing flows slowly; a line drawn through the icing should disappear after about 8–10 seconds.
  13. Decorate: Use the piping consistency icing to outline the edges of the fully cooled cookies. Allow the outline to set for 15 minutes.
  14. Flood: Fill the outlined area with the thinner flooding consistency icing, using a thin knife or toothpick to gently spread the icing to the edges.
  15. Set: Allow the cookies to dry completely at room temperature (6–12 hours) before layering or storing.