![Spiced Sugar Cookies decorated for Christmas](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1920 1280"></svg>)
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Hi Bold Bakers!
A NOTE FROM GEMMA: I’d love to introduce you to Vedika Luthra, an incredible baker, founder of HotChocolateHits.com, and wonderful baking show host I’ve known for years. She will be contributing some of her amazing recipes for Bigger Bolder Baking and I cannot wait to share what she has in store for you all. This first recipe is for her Spiced Sugar Cookies — which are perfect for the holidays. They’re easy to make and a bold twist on a cookie that has been begging for an update. This recipe comes from her brand new cookbook, 52 Weeks, 52 Sweets: Elegant Recipes for All Occasions, which you can find on Amazon right here. Now here she is in her own words! – Gemma
Hi, Bold Bakers! I’m Vedika. If you’re looking to stray from the ordinary, to elevate your holiday cookie spread to the next level, you’ve come to the right place. These spiced sugar cookies have subtle hints of favorite winter spices, like cinnamon and ginger, enticing both children and adults alike. This recipe belongs to the ‘December’ chapter of my new cookbook, 52 Weeks, 52 Sweets: Elegant Recipes for All Occasions. It’s a perfect cookie recipe to make for the Holidays.
A huge part of my book is about fusing unique flavors that I’ve absorbed from my surroundings. In the Netherlands (where I live), speculoos cookies are widespread, and in Poland (where I grew up) gingerbread is a defining Christmas recipe. Both are made with warm spices, like ginger and cinnamon, and I wanted to bring a similar feel to these cookies.
Gingerbread vs. Spiced Sugar Cookies
A marriage of gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies, these spiced sugar cookies fall in the middle. They don’t contain molasses (an essential component in gingerbread), because I wanted the recipes from my cookbook to have ingredients that are accessible to people around the world. They do have a similar profile to your favorite gingerbread cookie though (in terms of the ground ginger and cinnamon)- and if you like, the spices may be amped up to better suit your tastebuds.
And like a sugar cookie, these are slightly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and melt in your mouth. They are embellished with velvety vanilla icing, which can be colored as you like. The perfect paint for your cookie canvas.
![Frosted Spiced Sugar Cookies on a baking sheet.](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1365 2048"></svg> "Spiced Sugar Cookies Tall")
What You Need To Make Spiced Sugar Cookies
Let’s keep it simple! You’ll be on your way to sugar cookies with a bigger flavor in no time.
- In terms of equipment, nothing too fancy here. A bowl and a wooden spoon will suffice (although if you have a whisk or spatula handy that doesn’t hurt).
- In terms of ingredients, your basic cookie essentials: butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Plus the spices to make these spiced!
Tips To Keep In Mind
- Make sure to use a good vanilla extract: a little goes a long way here.
- Cinnamon and ginger to add that flare.
- Parchment paper yields evenly baked cookies that don’t stick, so make sure you have some handy to line your cooking tray.
- Chilling is key. Without it, the dough will be too soft, and difficult to roll.
- I prefer to work with grams, as weight measurements yield more consistent, accurate results.
- Cookie cutters are a fun way to produce beautiful shapes, but if you don’t have any you can use a circular glass with a sharp rim to cut shapes or even a knife.
The Final Results
In terms of holding their shape, these may puff up slightly but don’t spread too much. In other words, the dough is a delight when it comes to cutting out fun shapes. They work as the perfect base for your decorative masterpiece.
Icing The Cookies
I am rather conservative when it comes to using raw eggs in baking, so instead of royal icing (which calls for egg whites), I stick to the basics. Sugar. The icing I provide you with is a recipe for a modified buttercream. It’s thinner in texture, and a thin layer spread or piped atop the cookie hardens nicely. Once the icing dries, it works nicely for stacking and serving in bulk without compromising any decorations.
If you like this recipe, I hope you will check out my cookbook, 52 Weeks, 52 Sweets. It provides you with easy, delicious dessert recipes for every month of the year, full of bold flavor combinations and unique twists.
About 52 Weeks, 52 Sweets
![A cookbook called 52 Week 52 Sweets by Vedika Luthra](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1333 2000"></svg> "52 Weeks, 52 Sweets by Vedika Luthra")
- The book is seasonally and culturally themed, with a recipe for each week of the year (52 recipes for 52 weeks), organized by months.
- Each recipe is written with gram measurements, ounce measurements, and cup measurements.
- I’ve shot and styled all of the photographs in the book.
- Recipes can be adapted for dietary preferences, and there’s also a collection of vegan, eggless, and gluten-free recipes for your enjoyment, that do not compromise one bit on flavour.
- You’ll learn important baking techniques, shortcuts, and lessons, all of which I’ve learned over time.
- Each recipe includes prep time, cook time, and storing instructions so that you can plan ahead.
- I share helpful information about key ingredients used in the recipes.
- The recipes all have introductions describing the recipe.
Get More Cookies!
Have you seen my two new cookie lists? Check out The Top 10 Classic Christmas Cookies and the Top Holiday Cookies of 2021!
Plus, SUBSCRIBE NOW to the Bold Baking Academy for exclusive in-depth baking courses, The Baking Concierge™, and the Bold Baking Academy Community!
Find Vedika On Social Media!