Gingerbread delights: Crafting heartfelt holiday tea bag treats
Baking gingerbread cookies together for the holidays is already our family tradition. Every year, we gather to make loads of cookies—not only to eat but also to hang on the Christmas tree. Last year, my sister discovered an idea for cookies shaped like tea bags. This simple shape turned out to be perfect for gingerbread cookies. This year, I will make the same ones.
Originally, tea bag-shaped cookies are made from a recipe for shortcrust cookies – with wheat flour and cold butter. However, there's nothing to stop you from using their shape when cutting out Christmas gingerbread cookies as well. You can use the tags on the tea bag gingerbread cookies to write something nice for your loved ones.
The symbolism of Christmas gingerbread cookies
Gingerbread cookies baked for the holidays are not just a tasty addition to tea or coffee. Cookies with honey and spices are symbols of love and care for loved ones. Their ingredients not only smell wonderful but also have health benefits, so you could say that gingerbread cookies help protect against illnesses. Made with heart, they are a personal gift, especially when you include tags with good wishes.
By giving gingerbread cookies, you pass on a part of yourself, your love, and care hidden in each cookie. Such a small gift indicates your thoughtfulness and warm feelings, which will surely be appreciated and remembered by the person receiving them.
A good gingerbread cookie recipe as the foundation
You might have your own tried and tested recipe for the dough. If not, you can use a simple recipe for holiday gingerbread cookies that doesn't require cooking ingredients on the hob. Simply knead flour, honey, and other additions into a ball and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. After this time, you can roll out the dough and cut out fancy shapes.
How to make gingerbread cookies shaped like tea bags?
To make tea bag cookies, prepare a knife for cutting rectangles, a straw, thin string, paper, and a stapler.
Ingredients:
- gingerbread dough,
- 2 bars of dessert chocolate,
- 2 tablespoons of double cream.
Instructions:
- Roll out the gingerbread dough and cut it into rectangles measuring approximately 2.5 x 5 cm.
- Bend or trim the top corners of the rectangles with a knife.
- Make a small hole at the top of the cookies using a straw.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the gingerbread cookies. They should be ready in 10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. While heating, add the cream and mix into a smooth mixture.
- Dip the cooled cookies in melted chocolate to ⅔ of their height. Place the finished cookies on a rack.
- When the chocolate hardens, thread the string through the hole. Attach a holiday card using a stapler.
