I’ve loved ginger biscuits since childhood. The combination of crispness, buttery richness and warm ginger spice—sweet and slightly spicy—is impossible to resist. A tall stack of these biscuits was my constant companion, and they make a lovely gift if you feel like sharing. They’re also so simple to prepare that they don’t need to be reserved only for the holidays.
These are not the soft, chewy cookies I once made; rather, they are firm and crunchy—perfect for dunking in a hot drink. You can shape them thick or thin, the dough needs no chilling, and once baked they keep well in an airtight tin without going soft, even in warm weather. Delightful all year round.
The recipe is adapted from Delia Online and I first spotted this version on What Jessica Baked Next. The little surface crinkles appear almost magically; bake a few minutes longer if you prefer a darker, crunchier biscuit. I swapped golden syrup for honey—if you like a slightly more floral sweetness, honey works beautifully and adds depth to the flavour.
The method resembles making shortbread, but uses softened butter so the dough is soft and pliable rather than firm. I used self-raising flour, which you can buy ready-made or substitute by adding baking powder to plain flour (see notes). This recipe yields a small batch—double or triple it for parties, gifts or whenever you need more. Happy baking!
Crunchy Ginger Biscuits
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup self-raising flour (90 gms, see notes)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 heaped tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (50 gms)
- 1/4 cup butter at room temp (50 gms)
- 2 tbsps honey
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 190 C and lightly grease a baking tray or line it with a silicone mat.
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Sift the flour, baking soda and ginger in a bowl, then add the sugar and mix.
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Rub the butter into this mixture till it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
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Stir in the honey and bring the dough together with your fingers. It will be soft, but pliable.
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Form equal sized rounds with the dough and place about an inch apart on the baking tray. In warmer kitchens, the dough will be softer, so it’s best to leave a little room for spreading. In cooler temperatures, the cookies may not spread as much, so press the dough balls gently if you’d thinner, crispier cookies.
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Bake for 10 minutes for lighter, softer cookies and 13 to 15 minutes for darker, crunchier cookies. Rotate the tray halfway through baking especially if your oven has hot-spots like mine does.
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Allow to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin for about 10 days. Happy baking!
Notes
*If you don’t have self-raising flour, use 3/4 cup all-purpose flour sifted with 3/4 tsp baking powder.
*Original recipe adapted from Delia Online.