Pinecone Christmas Cookies

These are the cookies you need for this festive season. They are crunchy and made with only a few ingredients. In a mixing bowl, add 100 grams of softened butter together with 70 grams of sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk everything until combined and smooth then add one egg and half a teaspoon of gingerbread spice, you can add more spices of your choice then mix everything to ensure the egg is well blended in the mixture.

Gingerbread spices can be replaced with 1/2 tsp cinnamon + optional cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg (1/4 tsp each). On the side, mix and sift 200 grams of flour and half a teaspoon of baking soda then add the flour mixture in small batches into the batter mixture. Gradually knead until you form a dough, in the end, your dough should be soft but not sticky.

Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. After chilling, remove the dough from the fridge, lightly dust your work surface then knead the dough into a layer measuring 30cm by 40 cm. Using a shaped knife for cutting vegetables, cut the dough into stripes, approximately 1.5cm wide. Roll each strip into a pine cone shape, making it tight enough.

Transfer the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and space them well on the sheet. Once done, brush them with an egg wash then bake in a preheated 180C/350F oven for 15 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven once baked and let them cool down then serve them dusted with powdered sugar.