Spice gem cookies, often referred to as old time gem cookies, are a delightful treat that holds a special place in the hearts of many. These traditional cookies exude a nostalgic charm and a comforting aroma that takes one back to simpler times. With their crisp texture, delectable chewiness, and perfect balance of spices, these cookies have stood the test of time, becoming a beloved classic. In this article, we will explore the nuances of the spice gem cookie and provide you with a comprehensive guide to crafting these old-fashioned gems in your own kitchen.
Let's cook with our recipes!
OLD-FASHIONED GINGER SPICE COOKIES
Soft and chewy with a crackled sugar crust, these ginger spice cookies have just the right balance of spices to please kids and adults alike.
Provided by Jennifer Segal
Categories Desserts
Time 30m
Yield 38 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and black pepper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and the granulated and light brown sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and molasses. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, a few hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set two racks in the centermost positions. Line two 13 x 18 in baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the raw sugar to coat generously. Arrange the dough balls about 2½ in apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until puffed and set. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 cookie, Calories 97, Fat 4 g, Carbohydrate 15 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Sugar 9 g, Fiber 0 g, Sodium 70 mg, Cholesterol 14 mg
SPICE GEM COOKIES, OLD TIME RECIPE
My mom's recipe for soft and tender spice cookies that are pure comfort food! These freeze well, but they won't last long enough to freeze!
Provided by Carol in Oz
Categories Drop Cookies
Time 22m
Yield 24 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cream together butter and sugar
- Add egg and apple sauce to butter mixture and beat well.
- Add flour til smooth.
- Stir in baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add raisins to mixture and drop from teaspoon onto greased baking sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes at 350C until golden brown.
- Cool on wire rack.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 110.6, Fat 2.3, SaturatedFat 0.4, Cholesterol 8.8, Sodium 83.7, Carbohydrate 21.9, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 12.4, Protein 1.4
LITTLE GEM COOKIES
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine first 3 ingredients using a food processor. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat the yolks with the vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture. Beat until completely blended. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into balls. Place on the lined cookie sheet. Make indentation with thumb, fill the hole with preserves and press on a pecan half. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
DECORATED SPICE COOKIES
These cookies are a Christmas tradition in my household. I look forward to making them every year! I love the old-fashioned flavor. I saw a bunch of spice cookies on Zaar, but none quite like this. Cook time is if you bake about a dozen cookies at a time.
Provided by Kree6528
Categories Dessert
Time 1h50m
Yield 96 2inch cookies
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
- Mix margarine and sugar until fluffy; stir in Karo syrup.
- Add dry ingredients.
- DO NOT CHILL DOUGH!
- Roll out 1/8 thick on floured surface.
- Cut into shapes.
- Place on baking sheet.
- Bake in 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool and decorate.
GRAMMY'S SPICE COOKIES
This recipe for spice cookies came to The Times from Claire Will of San Francisco after a callout for favorite holiday recipes. At first, it seemed rather plain Jane, but the hefty dose of ground cloves (3/4 teaspoon) was what lured me into testing it, and I have to admit I was skeptical. I was soon a believer. Of the five kinds of cookies I served to a group at a holiday party, those crisp-edged, soft-centered beauties were the first to vanish. One friend texted on his way home, "send recipe for spice cookies a.s.a.p."
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dessert
Time 1h
Yield About 3 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners.
- Using an electric mixer, beat 12 tablespoons butter with the granulated sugar, molasses and egg until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly beat in flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
- Shape dough into walnut-size balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake until firm, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
- To make the icing, beat remaining 4 tablespoons butter with the confectioners' sugar until smooth. (Go slowly so you don't create a sugar storm.) Beat in the vanilla and enough cream or milk, and whiskey (if using), to make a spreadable frosting. Slather on fully cooled cookies.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 154, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 86 milligrams, Sugar 20 grams, TransFat 0 grams
OLD-FASHIONED MOLASSES COOKIES
These frosted spice gems are a perfect pick-me-up after a hard day at school or work.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Dessert
Time 6h10m
Yield 72
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, the shortening, molasses and eggs until well blended. In small bowl, dissolve baking soda in water; stir into molasses mixture. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. On floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 3/4-inch round cutter (or cut with clean food can with both ends removed, such as rectangular-shaped pork luncheon meat can). Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- In 2-quart saucepan, sprinkle gelatin on cold water to soften; stir in 1 cup granulated sugar. Heat to a rolling boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. In large bowl, place powdered sugar and hot gelatin mixture. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes or until foamy. Add vanilla, baking powder and salt; beat on high speed 12 to 15 minutes or until soft peaks form. Frost bottoms of cookies with frosting. Let stand until frosting is dry, 2 to 3 hours, before storing.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 110, Carbohydrate 20 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Fat 1/2, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 95 mg
SPICE COOKIES
This recipe was my mother's grandmother's recipe. Spicy soft cookies with currants. Originally from England. Enjoy, they won't last long.
Provided by Angie Kitcher
Categories Desserts Cookies Spice Cookie Recipes
Time 26m
Yield 48
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
- Combine sugar, butter, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Combine flour, currants, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Stir into the butter mixture alternately with tablespoons of milk until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Press down lightly with a fork. Dip fork in sugar or water if it sticks.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheets for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 110.4 calories, Carbohydrate 16.8 g, Cholesterol 18.3 mg, Fat 4.3 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 2.6 g, Sodium 72.1 mg, Sugar 8.6 g
SPICE COOKIES
Provided by Yotam Ottolenghi
Categories Cookies Ginger Dessert Bake Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Spice Chill Cinnamon Nutmeg Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes 16 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Soak the currants in the brandy for 10 minutes. Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and dark chocolate. Mix well with a whisk.
- Put the butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon and orange zest in a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment and beat to combine but not aerate much, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg and mix for about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients, followed by the currants and brandy. Mix until everything comes together.
- Gently knead the dough in the bowl with your hands until it comes together and is uniform. Divide the dough into 1 3/4-oz / 50g chunks and shape each chunk into a perfectly round ball. Place the balls on 1 or 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 3/4 inch / 2 cm apart, and let rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top firms up but the center is still slightly soft. Remove from the oven. Once the cookies are out of the oven, allow to cool for only 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. While the cookies are still warm, whisk together the glaze ingredients until a thin and smooth icing forms. Pour 1 tablespoon of the glaze over each biscuit, leaving it to drip and coat the biscuit with a very thin, almost transparent film. Finish each with 3 pieces of candied peel placed at the center. Leave to set and serve, or store in an airtight container for a day or two.
SUGAR AND SPICE COOKIES
These are my favorite cut-out cookies. Sweet and spicy, they're a wonderful Christmas treat. I've been making them every Christmas for almost 15 years now. You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead of time.
Provided by BJREEVE
Categories Desserts Cookies Cut-Out Cookie Recipes
Time 2h
Yield 50
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix the flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; beat the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in small amount to the butter mixture, beating each addition until blended. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
- Roll the dough out on a floured work surface with a rolling pin to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters. Arrange the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 50.8 calories, Carbohydrate 7.8 g, Cholesterol 8.6 mg, Fat 2 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.6 g, SaturatedFat 1.2 g, Sodium 25.6 mg, Sugar 4.3 g
Tips:
- Measure accurately: Baking is a science, so it's important to measure your ingredients accurately. This means using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, rather than measuring them by volume.
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients you use, the better your cookies will taste. Look for fresh, organic ingredients whenever possible.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy: This will help to incorporate air into the mixture, which will make your cookies light and airy.
- Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing the dough will make your cookies tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Chill the dough: Chilling the dough will help to firm it up and make it easier to handle. You can chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Bake the cookies at the right temperature: The temperature of your oven will affect the way your cookies bake. Be sure to preheat your oven to the correct temperature before baking the cookies.
- Don't overbake the cookies: Overbaking the cookies will make them dry and crumbly. Bake the cookies just until they are set around the edges and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them: This will help to prevent the cookies from becoming soggy.
Conclusion:
Spice Gem Cookies are a classic holiday cookie that is sure to please everyone. They are easy to make and can be customized with your favorite spices. With a little planning and effort, you can make these delicious cookies at home.
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