Gingerbread Biscuits with Maple Molasses Glaze

It’s a few days before Christmas and all the kids are finally home and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than with Gingerbread Biscuits! These biscuits are everything – winter and Christmas and comfort all wrapped into a warm, fluffy, perfectly spiced biscuit.

These biscuits are a classic ‘Julia Child Baking Powder Biscuit‘ with a gingerbread twist. I’ve made my share of variations on her perfectly fluffy, tender, layered biscuit and it’s hard to pick a favorite. But the aroma that waves through my home as these biscuits are baking is truly unmatched!

Gingerbread Maker

There are a few key ingredients that MUST be included in gingerbread in order for a pastry to be qualified as gingerbread (some might be a little obvious).

• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Molasses

Molasses and ginger add a peppery, bitterness that finds their best life when paired with cloves and cinnamon. It’s especially important to balance the flavors of gingerbread in these biscuits because the added sweetness from sugar is minimal.

‘Catch me if you can!’

The rest of this recipe is all about technique. And truthfully, technique (when it comes to biscuit making) is clutch. I always tell students, go slow when making biscuits — it leaves room for avoiding mistakes.

This process can really be simplified into 3 steps –

• combine ALL dry ingredients
• work in grated cold butter and shortening
• slowly pour in ALL liquid ingredients

Once the liquids are added, slowly cut them into the dry ingredients – allowing time for the flour particles to absorb the moisture.

Biscuit Maker

When the dough is shaggy and not quite combined, dump it onto a lightly floured surface and knead, folding 10 times. — KEY — DO NOT overwork the dough. Roll into a 12″x2″ thick square and cut 16-18 biscuits.

Place on a buttered cast iron pan and brush with cream and sprinkle with raw cane sugar.

If you have an instant read thermometer, the desired internal temperature for a perfectly baked biscuit is 200°-205°.

Maple Molasses Glaze

Because these biscuits are mildly sweet, a drizzle of maple molasses glaze is especially wonderful! Simply whisk together all of the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the warm, freshly baked biscuits. I thought 2 cups of glaze was a little much, but the kids LOVED the glaze and mounded it over their biscuits!

Setting the stage

I really can’t think of a better way to enjoy the slow, frigid mornings of winter break. These gingerbread biscuits create the mood for everything I hope our family will experience while together. The aroma of warm baking biscuits spiced with gingerbread woke all three of my men boys up and happily brought them down the stairs. Now for some games and movies and my dream day is complete! I hope these biscuits can do the same for you this holiday season!

Gingerbread Biscuits

Serving Size:

2 biscuits

Time:

30 minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 4 c AP flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 2 T baking powder
• 2 T sugar
• 3 t kosher salt
• 3/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t ground cloves
• 1/3 c cold butter, grated
• 1/3 c shortening
• 1 3/4 c buttermilk or soured whole milk (added incrementally)
• 1/4 c molasses
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 T heavy whipping cream for brushing
• 2 T raw cane sugar

Directions

1. DIRECTIONS
2. Preheat oven to 425°. Butter (2) 1/4 sheet pans.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a fork, combine first 8 ingredients.
4. Combine milk, molasses and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.
5. Form a well in the center of the mixed dry ingredients and pour the milk mixture into the well.
6. Using a fork, cover the milk with dry ingredients and then begin lightly mixing. (It’s okay to take your time here and allow the milk to soak into the dry ingredients – rest the ‘dough’ for 1-2 minutes before mixing)
7. Scrape the sides and bottom, then continue mixing.
8. Dump the biscuit dough onto a floured workspace and knead 10 times by folding the dough onto itself, rotating 45° and then folding again.
9. When kneading is complete, press into a 12″ square approximately 2″ thick.
10. Use a 2″ square biscuit cutter (or whatever shape and size you prefer) to cut out biscuits. Tap biscuit cutter into flour between cuts to prevent sticking.
11. Place biscuits 1/2″ apart onto prepared baking sheets.
12. Brush biscuits with heavy whipping cream and sprinkle with raw cane sugar.
13. Place into preheated oven 18 minutes.
14. Once baking is complete, remove and drizzle with Maple Molasses Glaze