Spicy gingerbread cookies from Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman

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Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • elysedc on December 19, 2025

    originally tasted this cookie and found it bland, despite the large amt of fresh spices in it. it’s the kind of cookie that benefits from a few days of resting after being baked - I’m honestly surprised at how much more flavorful it is now! made with a combination of all purpose and bread flour because i ran out (you need 6 cups!), supplemented with bread flour until I reached the right weight, so I may have used slightly less than 6 cups. still had a flour explosion when I ran my mixer on the lowest possible setting. remember for next time!

  • stockholm28 on December 21, 2020

    I thought these were very good. I cut the black pepper down to 1/2 tsp because I was making them for kids, but I don’t think that was necessary. Next time I will use the full amount.

  • jaxstar84 on January 08, 2018

    I didn't add any black pepper to these, but also didn't find them very spicy. Delicious, and what I imagine gingerbread to be, although they weren't soft at all, and well suited to making gingerbread houses or dunking in tea. Not overly sweet, well suited to being iced and decorated. Dough was easy to work with when cold, keep the dough you aren't using, in the fridge. Makes A LOT. I made about 20 normal sized cookies with a third of the batch. The other 2 batches are in the freezer.

  • Rutabaga on December 08, 2014

    Make these cookies a day or two in advance of eating them; the flavor and texture of gingerbread really improves with a little time. Perelman notes that these cookies have a real spice kick, but I didn't find them any spicier than any other gingerbread cookies (although I did go a little easy on the black pepper). Maybe I've only ever eaten the spicy kind? We frosted them with a simple icing made of powdered sugar, a little butter, milk, and vanilla. Because the cookies themselves aren't overly sweet, they work very well with icing.

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