Gingerbread Cookies (USA)
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and molasses.
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Chill dough for 1 hour.
Roll out dough, cut shapes, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes.
Pfeffernüsse (Germany)
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and white pepper
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
Instructions:
Heat honey and sugar until dissolved; cool slightly.
Mix dry ingredients and combine with honey mixture and egg.
Shape into small balls and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes.
Coat with powdered sugar.
Shortbread (Scotland)
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
Instructions:
Mix flour and sugar, then blend in butter.
Roll out and cut shapes. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 15–20 minutes.
Speculaas (Netherlands/Belgium)
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp speculaas spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)
1/4 cup milk
Instructions:
Combine ingredients, chill dough, and roll out.
Use molds or cut shapes. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes.
Amaretti (Italy)
Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp almond extract
Instructions:
Whisk egg whites until frothy, mix in almond flour and sugar.
Shape into balls, bake at 325°F (160°C) for 15–20 minutes.
Polvorones (Spain/Mexico)
Crumbly almond cookies.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1 cup butter
Instructions:
- Combine ingredients, form dough, and chill.
- Shape and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–15 minutes.
Linzer Cookies (Austria)
Almond sandwich cookies with jam filling.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
Jam for filling
Instructions:
Make dough, chill, and roll out.
Cut shapes, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes.
Assemble with jam.
Ma’amoul (Middle East)
Ingredients:
2 cups semolina
1 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
Date paste or nuts for filling
Instructions:
Mix dough, chill, and form into small balls.
Stuff with filling, shape, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes.