Crisp Ginger Cookies with Warm Spices

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 2
   Pulse the flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, anise, baking powder and salt in a food processor with the cold butter cubes, to a sandy mixture.

   Food processor

   💡In the food processor the butter stays cold and breaks up into the flour without melting: the dough comes out crumbly, and you chill it before rolling.
3. 3
   Add the egg and pulse briefly, until a ball of dough forms.

   Food processor
4. 4
   Wrap the dough in plastic wrap until it holds together and chill 30 minutes.

   ⚙ Wrapping and Chilling the DoughPlastic wrapRefrigerator

   💡Chilling firms the butter and relaxes the gluten: the dough rolls out easily, doesn't stick to the counter and doesn't shrink in the oven.
5. 5
   Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 4–5 mm thick, cut out Shapes and arrange on the baking sheet, spaced apart.

   ⚙ Rolling Out DoughRolling pinCookie cutterBaking pan

   💡Roll from the center outward and give the dough a quarter turn between rolls: this keeps it even in thickness and stops it sticking to the counter. If it springs back, cover for 10–15 minutes and try again.
6. 6
   Bake 10–12 minutes, until the edges start to turn golden.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Take the cookies out while they still look soft: they firm up as they cool, and long baking dries them out.

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
7. 7
   Cool on a rack: the cookies firm up as they cool.

   Cooling rack