Decorating Iced Spiced Biscuits (Ginger Frosted Cookies)

On Friday, whilst Freddie was at Preschool, I decided to prep some biscuits in advance, in order for him, Sasha, and their cousin to decorate that afternoon. Our baking cupboard is brimming with all sorts of edible decorations that need using up, so this was the perfect opportunity to let the little ones run riot with silver balls and edible glitter and make some Iced Spiced biscuits, otherwise very similar to ginger frosted cookies! This recipe is great one for simple gingerbread decorating with kids.

Now, I am fairly big on baking (we make a lot of cakes together), but actually biscuits are something we haven’t made all that many of. I’m not sure why, but my first thought when looking for a suitable recipe for iced biscuits, was the one I referred to all the time as a child: a recipe for ‘Iced Spiced Biscuits’ in the proper old skool ‘Usbourne First Cook Book‘. I LOVED this book!

A bit of Googling showed that others still love this recipe, over 20 years on, and it was very easy to track down.

Here is the amazingly easy recipe- you really can’t go wrong with this!

Iced Spiced, Biscuits/ Ginger Frosted Cookies:

1 batch (as below) makes about 20 biscuits

Ingredients for best spiced biscuits for holiday baking:

125g brown sugar
125g dairy-free spread, or butter
250g plain flour
1 egg
Pinch salt
2 tsp mixed spice

Method – biscuits

Preheat the oven to 190’C and line 2 – 3 baking trays with baking paper
Beat the brown sugar and butter together until fluffy
Gradually beat in the egg or egg replacer
Add the flour, salt and mixed spice and mix well to combine
Knead briefly to form a ball of firm dough
Roll out the dough on a flour-covered surface, to ~1/2 cm thick
Cut out shapes using biscuits cutters – I used Christmas-themed stocking, Christmas tree and bell cutters, as I thought these would be great fun to decorate
Bake on prepared trays for 15 minutes, until light brown (the cookies will continue to firm up after coming out of the oven – they are better coming out a little soft than too hard)
Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely

Method – the icing

Combine 125g icing sugar with 1 – 2 tbsp hot water; mix thoroughly
Separate the icing into 3 small bowls
Colour icing with food colouring as desired – I prepped white, green and red icing for the little ones to use

Decorations we used for these frosted ginger cookies for Christmas:

Silver balls
Edible yellow stars
Edible red stars
‘Hundreds and thousands’
Edible glitter – red and green>
Sprinkle balls
Mini marshmallows
 
Needless to say, our toddlers thoroughly enjoyed this, and all were very pleased with their efforts. Yes, it was messy, and yes, they were WILD after consuming a couple of these sugary treats, but hey, if you can’t do this at Christmas, when can you?!

FAQS

Q1: Can I make iced spiced biscuits in advance?
Yes, iced spiced biscuits can be made a few days in advance. Just store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh. If you’re decorating them with icing, you can also ice them a day before serving.

Q2: How can I make the icing for ginger cookies?
The icing for ginger cookies can be made using powdered sugar, a little bit of milk, and food coloring. For a thicker icing, add more sugar, and for a runnier texture, use less milk.

Q3: What is the best way to decorate frosted ginger cookies with kids?
A great way to decorate ginger cookies with kids is to use simple tools like squeeze bottles for the icing, sprinkle decorations, or edible glitter. Keep the icing colors bright and fun!

Q4: How can I make my ginger cookies softer?
To make your ginger cookies softer, try reducing the baking time slightly and add more molasses or butter to the dough.

Q5: Can I substitute ingredients in spiced biscuits?
Yes, you can substitute ingredients like using honey instead of molasses or using gluten-free flour for a gluten-free option.

See more baking posts here and seasonal posts here!

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.