Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Tartine soft glazed gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy and generously spiced cookies from the renowned San Francisco bakery they are named after.

These cookies have a robust spice mix that includes black pepper, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon.

They are perfectly soft and chewy with the right amount of warmth from the spices.

The Tartine gingerbread cookies use a special rolling pin called springerle, which leaves a beautiful imprint in the cookies where the glaze sets in.

Recipe highlights

These German iced soft spices cookies are traditional Christmas cookies with lots of warmth and spice.

These cookies are a great way to change up the traditional gingerbread cookie and make a softer version with a delicate texture, robust spices and delicate glaze.

Soft gingerbread cookie ingredients

There are a lot of spices in this cookie including black pepper. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples and easily accessible items.

• All-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder: I used cacao powder which has a more intense flavor.
• Ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
• Freshly ground black pepper.
• Dark molasses.
• Light corn syrup.
• Butter: Recipe calls for unsalted butter.
• Eggs.
• Baking soda.
• Salt.
• Granulated sugar.
• Confectioners' sugar.

Recipe instructions

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, spices, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

In another bowl cream together the sugar and butter with hand mixer on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.

Add the molasses and corn syrup and mix until fully combined. Reduce the speed to low and add your dry ingredient mix.

Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.

Mix until a the dough forms. Knead the dough in the bowl by hand 2 or 3 times until you achieve a smooth dough.

Divide the dough into 2 equal size pieces. Flatten each piece into a 1-inch-thick slab.

Wrap each slab in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Use parchment paper dusted with confectioner's sugar to roll the dough about ⅓ inch thick.

Here you can cut the cookies with cookie cutters, but if using a patterned rolling pin use a piece of parchment paper slightly smaller than the baking sheet you will use to roll the dough into a ⅓ inch thick piece.

Dust top of the dough with confectioners' sugar and roll it with a plain rolling pin first. Then roll it with the patterned pin with enough pressure to get a clear design on the dough.

Bake the piece of dough and cut into pieces after baking. Cut into 3X4 inch rectangles.

Storage instructions

These cookies keep well in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

You can store plain cookies with no icing in the freezer for up to 3 months.