Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Cookies
Made with freshly milled einkorn flour + a trio of warming spices
I have been craving all things warm, peppery, and gingery lately and remembered the flavors of a gingerbread cake that my grandma and mom have made every holiday season since I can remember.
I combined the simple spices of the cake with the nutty flavor of freshly milled einkorn flour. The sourdough discard is optional, but adds a depth of flavor and a bit of a rise to the cookies that is lacking otherwise. These cookies are soft and chewy - a perfect treat for holiday gatherings or served with afternoon tea. Since they aren’t overly sweet, you can drizzle them with a simple powdered sugar icing for a touch of extra sweetness if you’d like.
Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Cookies
Makes about 24 cookies
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup maple sugar (can sub cane sugar)
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup sourdough starter - can be discard
3 cups freshly milled einkorn flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger powder or 2 tsp freshly grated ginger (I freeze fresh ginger in a reusable ziplock and zest it directly from the freezer)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
METHOD
Cream butter and sugar for 1 minute, until smooth
Add the egg, molasses, vanilla, and sourdough starter and mix for about one minute
Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, fresh ginger, and nutmeg and mix until combined. Dough will be sticky.
Cover and move the bowl of dough to the refrigerator and let chill for at least one hour, or overnight.
One tablespoon at a time, drop dough balls about 2” apart onto a cookie sheet
Bake at 375º for 8-9 minutes - bake for a minute or two longer if you want them crispy, like a gingersnap.
Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack and repeat until all cookies are baked
If you don’t want to bake them all at once, leftover dough can be scooped onto a baking tray and frozen into individual dough balls. Store in a ziplock and bake from frozen on-demand whenever fresh cookies are desired :)
