Chinese Five Spice Gingerbread Cookies
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
With a modern twist on a holiday classic, these Chinese Five Spice Gingerbread Cookies use a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and peppercorns in place of traditional ground ginger for an added kick of warm, holiday spice!
Serves: 48 cookies
Ingredients
  • *For the Cookies*
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons milk (2% or whole)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • *For the Royal Icing*
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1lb confectioner's sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons lukewarm water
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and Chinese Five Spice and set aside
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy
  3. Add in the brown sugar and cream for 2 minutes
  4. Scarpe the sides and add in the egg, molasses, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest
  5. In 3 additions, add in the dry ingredients followed by the 2 tablespoons of milk
  6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and form it into a flat disc
  7. Tightly wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours
  8. To bake, preheat the oven to 375* and line your baking sheets with parchment or silicon mats
  9. Section the dough into four pieces and roll each section to ¼ inch thickness
  10. Using cookie cutter, create shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets, 1-2 inches apart
  11. Bake for 9-10 minutes
  12. Remove from oven and cool completely before decorating
  13. To prepare the frosting, in a large mixing bowl beat together the confectioner's sugar and meringue powder. Slowly drizzle in 3-4 tablespoons of lukewarm water until the desired consistency is reached.
  14. Place the frosting in a piping bag with a small tip and decorate the cookies.
  15. Let the frosting set completely before storing the cookies.
Recipe by Her Modern Kitchen at https://www.hermodernkitchen.com/chinese-five-spice-gingerbread-cookies/