Meet my sweet and spicy ginger biscuits – or some would call them cookies. They’re easy to make, great to dunk in a freshly made hot coffee and are a not-too-sweet treat that’s just right. They have just the right amount of spice and sweetness and perfectly light enough to eat a couple without feeling guilty.
I grew up loving the packaged supermarket version of gingernut snaps. They were generously spiced and if you weren’t careful, were so hard that you’d almost break your teeth taking a bite (thankfully that never happened to me)! They were always difficult to stop at one … or two. But the flavour has changed over the years and I find them rather less, well, flavourful. The last time I bought them, I found spice flavour didn’t taste natural any more and they were overly sweet.
A quick Google search about the biscuits has uncovered a rather interesting article from October 2022, which states Arnotts Gingernuts (yes, that’s the version I’m referring to) has four different recipes! Why? Because Australian states have different preferences and so they taste different across Australia. You can read that article here. For the record, I last ate these in Tasmania, so maybe I need to try the Victorian version now I’m back in Melbourne.
Home made is always better
That said, it doesn’t change the fact that in my frustration I went seeking a recipe for these classics and true to form, I found a few different ones that I experimented on until coming up with the recipe below. It doesn’t have the same hard crack that the commercial version has and despite what looks like a lot of ginger and spice, its flavour is gentle.
As with most of my recipes, once you make them once it’s up to you how you tweak it to suit your own tastes.
And that’s one of the things I love about cooking and sharing recipes. I give you a foundation and you can make your ultimate version with a bit of creativity and a tweak here and there.
Without further ado, here’s the recipe for Sweet and Spicy ginger biscuits.
Sweet and spicy ginger biscuits
Perfect with a cuppa, these gently spiced biscuits have just the right crunch
32
servings30
minutes40
minutesClick for the screen to stay active while you cook
You will need
340 grams 340 plain flour (all-purpose)
1 teaspoon 1 bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) – levelled
5 teaspoon 5 ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon 1/4 ground allspice
100 grams 100 lightly salted butter, cut into small cubes*
160 grams 160 light brown sugar
80 ml 80 golden syrup
2 medium 2 size eggs, lightly beaten
Here’s what to do
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/350°F and line two baking trays with parchment.
- Place flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and allspice into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the sugar, golden syrup and egg, then pulse just so it comes together to form a dough.
- Tip onto a lightly floured board and gently form it into a ball.
- You have two options:
- Option 1
- Form the dough into a long cylinder about 10cm in diameter.
- Wrap the cylinder in cling film or reusable silicon wrap and pop into the freezer for half an hour or refrigerate overnight so the dough firms up.
- Remove, then slice into thin rounds (you won’t need to preheat your oven until ready to cook!).
- Option 2
- With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 5mm thick, then using a round (or shaped) biscuit cutter, cut the dough out and place on the baking trays. They will spread a little, so allow for that.
- Place the baking trays into the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up before baking.
- Cook
- Place into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from trays with a spatula and cool on racks.
- NOTE: If they’re not crisp enough for you when cooled, just return to the oven at around 140C (no fan) for another 8 or so minutes, being careful they don’t burn or get too brown.
Tips and tricks
- You could add some chopped nuts, like walnuts or macadamia nuts for some extra crunch.
- If it’s not spicy enough for your taste, add more ginger or mix it up a bit with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- If you want a chewier version, just cook a for little less time. They sandwich together well with a ginger-flavoured buttercream.
Like these? Try some of my other biscuit recipes.
Alfajores are a delicious sweet treat from Spain (or South America, depending on who you’re talking to). They’re a light biscuit, sandwiched together with golden brown dulce de leche (caramel made from sweetened milk).
Fancy a slice of cake? My Orange Poppyseed Cake has all the feels. It’s full of citrusy flavour, syrupy and is one of the best cake recipes I’ve ever made. It’s always a crowd pleaser.
