• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Chipa by the Dozen
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

Home » Christmas Cookies

Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies

Published: Oct 31, 2012 · Modified: May 29, 2020 by Lizet Flores de Bowen

↓ Jump to Recipe

These crunchy gingerbread cookies are perfect to make and decorate with little ones. The dough is very easy to make and these cookies taste amazing.

Baking Christmas cookies is not a Bolivian or Paraguayan custom, although more people are baking them now.

I started baking Christmas cookies after I got married, and since then I've been trying many different recipes. I love baking different kinds of cookies and give them as Christmas gifts to our friends. Every year I promise myself not to bake too many cookies because here in Paraguay in December is very hot and we don't have air conditioning. After baking a few cookies, our house feels like an oven too. But since they look so nice, I end up making way too many 🙂

Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorites, and the flavor is unique especially with a cup of tea. I hope you like it too. Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies dough in a bowl These cookies are made with vegetable shortening, which remains solid at room temperature. It has a neutral flavor and is great for making shaped cookies as it helps the dough keep its shape while baking. Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies roll out dough When cutting these gingerbread cookies, try to cut close together. The more you roll out this dough the less crispy and tender these cookies are. Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies in a cooling rack

Once the cookies are at room temperature, they can be decorated or stored in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

decorated Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies on a cooling rack

The icing is super easy to make. You'll need about an hour for the icing to set properly.

Star Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies decorated with white icing

If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment below! and share your picture on Instagram with the hashtag #chipabythedozen

Try this Lemon bundt cake with ginger and black pepper

Recipe

Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies

These crunchy gingerbread cookies are perfect to make and decorate with little ones. The dough is very easy to make and these cookies taste amazing.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time11 minutes mins
Fridge Time2 hours hrs
Total Time31 minutes mins
Course: Christmas cookies
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 119kcal
Author: Lizet Bowen

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup shortening
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Icing:

  • 3-¾ cups icing sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1-½ teaspoons light corn syrup or honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, molasses, and egg.
  • Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well (if your mixer is too small to do this step, use your hands or a spatula).
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough. Cut with a cookie cutter dipped in flour.
  • Place the cookies on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F / 180°C for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm.
  • Remove and place on wire racks to cool. Decorate as desired.
  • For the icing: combine all the ingredients and beat until smooth. Transfer to plastic bag and cut a small hole in a corner of the bag; pipe icing onto cookies.

Notes

To store: Place unfrosted cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw cookies, if frozen and decorate.

Nutrition

Calories: 119kcal
Crunchy Gingerbread Cookies

More Christmas Cookies

  • Pepperkaker (Norwegian Christmas Cookies)
    Pepperkaker (Norwegian Christmas Cookies)
  • aniseseed & guava thumbprint cookies
    Anise Seed & Guava Thumbprint Cookies
  • freshly made sweet empanadas on a white plate
    Sweet Empanadas (Dulce de Leche Cookies)
  • Food Advent Calendar - "Spice It Up!"
    Food Advent Calendar - "Spice It Up!"

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Karen

    December 15, 2021 at 1:01 pm

    These look awesome. I love dunking frosted ginger bead cookies in my coffee. I usually get Stoufers brand bags at Christmas time. So, I thought I’d try to make them today. One question though. . .does it matter if you use shortening (like in the ingredients) or butter, (like in the instructions)?

    Reply
    • Lizet

      December 17, 2021 at 11:40 am

      If using butter, the cookies will spread a little bit more, losing some of its shape, but not a lot.
      Shortening it helps maintain the shape better.
      If you only have butter, use that.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Lizet's photo, creator of Chipa by the Dozen.

Hello! I am Lizet.

Welcome to my blog. This is a collection of the most beloved recipes between my family and friends. Some are my own creations and some are copycat from the many found on the internet, but with a twist using ingredients I can find in Paraguay. I hope you enjoy them!

More about me

Favorite Recipes

  • Easy Tangerine Cake
    Easy Tangerine Cake

  • Bolivian peanut soup
    Bolivian Peanut Soup

  • Freshly made Portuguese Coconut Buns (Pão De Deus) on a white plate.
    Portuguese Coconut Buns (Pão De Deus)

  • small cup with ceviche
    Ceviche Colombiano - Authentic Colombian Shrimp Ceviche

Bolivian Recipes

  • first shot marraquetas. Bolivian style french rolls.
    Marraquetas (French Bread Rolls)

  • first shot of plate with rice and chicken salpicon
    Salpicón (Bolivian Style Chicken Salad)

  • bolivian rice pudding in a glass
    Bolivian Rice Pudding

  • cuñape in a wood bowl
    Cuñapé (Gluten-Free Cheese Bread)

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Mashed Yuca Root (Cassava Mash)
  • Marraquetas (French Bread Rolls)
  • Floating Island Dessert

Copyright © 2025 CHIPA BY THE DOZEN