Danish Ginger Cookies

Danish Ginger Cookies (also known as brunkager) are a staple in households across Scandinavia during the holidays. They’re crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, loaded with tantalizing spice and finished with just the right amount of sweetness.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon gluten free, all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 10 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan butter, softened
• 1/4 cup molases
• 1 egg (or equivalent egg replacer)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a kitchen mixer (or large bowl with electric mixer), beat the coconut sugar and Earth Balance on medium until fluffy. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla, beating until smooth. You can use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary.
3. With the mixer on a slow speed, slowly add dry ingredients, beating just until the dough is formed.
4. Divide dough into two equal portions. Lay each portion of dough onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with additional flour. Sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour, and cover it with another piece of parchment paper. Roll each ball of dough out between the two sheets of parchment paper to a 1/4 inch thickness. Stack rolled pieces of dough on a tray or baking sheet, chilling until firm. (At least 1 hour)
5. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. (Parchment paper works too)
6. Remove one portion of dough from the fridge and remove the top sheet of parchment paper. Cut out the cookies using cookie cutter(s) of choice. Place cookies on the cookie sheet using a spatula leaving multiple inches between cookies. You can form leftover dough scraps into a ball and roll them back out as instructed in step 4. Note: This dough softens quickly, so if it becomes too sticky to work with, place it back in the fridge until it hardens. Meanwhile, you can work with the chilled portion. 
7. Bake cookies for 10 minutes. When the cookies are finished they will appear dry and fluffy. As the cool, they will flatten.
8. Once done, remove the baking sheet from the oven, allowing cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool indefinitely. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
9. Lastly and most importantly, enjoy!

Danish Ginger Cookies