Chalandri’s beloved bakery shares its recipe for cookies that smell like Christmas

Gingerbread cookies might just be the most instantly recognizable Christmas treat: crisp or a little softer, spiced with ginger and warm aromatics that make the whole house feel festive in seconds.

The idea of a “spiced cookie” took shape in Europe from the Middle Ages onward, as exotic spices became more widely available through trade. There’s also a well-known French tradition that credits the spread of gingerbread in the West to an Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis, in the late 10th century—one of the legends that trails this sweet through history.

Over time, every country added its own “accent” to the recipe: Germany’s fragrant, richer Lebkuchen (often with honey and nuts), and Scandinavia’s thin pepparkakor/pepperkaker, sometimes called “pepper cookies” because, in earlier times, pepper was almost a catch-all word for imported spices—not necessarily the pepper we mean today.

Then came the iconic shapes. The gingerbread man, for instance, is often linked to the court of Queen Elizabeth I, where cookie figures were reportedly baked to resemble important guests.

We love gingerbread because it’s flavor and ritual at once: you roll the dough, grab the cutters, decorate, bake—and suddenly the kitchen smells like cinnamon and ginger. These cookies aren’t just “tasty”; they’re part of the atmosphere. And they may be the easiest holiday bake to get kids involved in, too: the process is playful, and the kitchen turns into a little Christmas workshop.

Besides, this dough isn’t only for star-shaped cookies. Rolled thin and evenly, it’s perfect for alphabet letters (names, wishes), numbers, hearts, snowflakes, and even gingerbread houses—for decorating… or for happily demolishing at the end.

Ingredients (makes about 35–45 cookies)

• 350 g butter, softened
• 350 g brown sugar
• 105 g white sugar

Liquid

• 2 small eggs
• 25–30 g milk (about 2 tbsp)

Dry

• 700 g all-purpose flour
• 10–11 g baking powder (2 heaped tsp)
• 26 g cinnamon (about 2 tbsp)
• 5 g ground ginger (2 tsp)
• 3–4 g ground cardamom (1–1½ tsp)
• 3–4 g salt (½ tsp)

Tip: For a milder spice profile, reduce the cinnamon to 18–20 g.

Method

1. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs gradually, then mix in the milk.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Add to the mixer and mix just until a dough forms.
4. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap, and chill for 30–60 minutes (it makes rolling much easier).
5. Roll the dough between sheets of parchment to 2–3 mm thickness.
6. Cut with cookie cutters.
7. Bake at 170°C (fan or conventional) for 10–12 minutes.
   1. For crispier cookies, bake 1–2 minutes longer.
8. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Quick tips

• If the dough feels too stiff, add 1 tbsp more milk.
• If it starts sticking while rolling, chill it again for 10 minutes.
• Store in a tin: they keep beautifully for 1–2 weeks.