As far back as I can remember, my family has baked these Winter Gingerland Cookies. Mom found the original recipe in a newspaper during the 1960’s. The clipping is long gone, but her hand-written note remains.
I’m continuing this tradition with my daughters. They’re a great help in the kitchen, and enjoy themselves along the way. The secret is to keep it fun and lend a hand.
The kids can add the ingredients, roll the dough, cut out the cookies, and most importantly, decorate them! We buy Betty Crocker icing in tubes. The plastic, interchangeable tips are less than $3. at your local grocery store.
Press play when you’re ready to see how easy this recipe is, and rock out with Hip Hop Jingle Bells!
Here are some of my favorite photos from the day. Hot cookies cool on the stove while our kitten, Lucy, undecorates the tree.
Family enjoying cookies.
Oldest daughter draws a gingerbread man while youngest daughter continues to play with the dough.
• What traditional treat do you bake during the holidays?
• Do you have kittens in your tree?
• How do you prefer your Jingle Bells?
DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THIS COOKIE RECIPE compliments of JeanHasBeenShopping.com
Comment By: Jason
December 5th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I remember baking things for the Christmas holidays when I was younger! I think we made mince pies and cookies! It was always good fun. The ones your daughters have made look much better than my skills!
I’m not sure if I have a kitten in my tree at home. The chances are that our kitten is causing havoc anyway. I’ll find out when I return home in two weeks!
Your photographs are excellent! They really capture the warmth of Christmas!
Comment By: Jean
December 5th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
LOL, Jason. I’m sure your skills are better, but you are kind.
Kitties are trouble!
Thanks so much! Early Merry Christmas wishes to you.
Comment By: Sunny Wishes She Were Shopping
December 5th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
These cookies are my favorites! I love Lucy in the tree. Molly’s been climbing ours. We just put it up a few hours ago… pictures to follow. 🙂
Comment By: Jason
December 5th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
How interesting, my kitten is called Molly also!
Comment By: Jean
December 5th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Sunny, did you make a batch of these this year too?
Jason, Sunny is my sister.
Jason, Sunny.
Sunny, Jason.
Jason writes a fantastic blog, and is studying to become an opthalmologist. (Did I butcher that word?) Request his password if you are interest (the blog is private).
Comment By: Jason
December 6th, 2010 at 2:49 am
Nice to meet you Sunny!
Thanks for mentioning my blog, you are kind to say it’s fantastic! 🙂 I’m studying to be an optometrist (I’m not quite bright enough to be an ophthalmologist!)
And due to a recent change of heart I have removed the password, so everyone is welcome!
Comment By: Jean
December 6th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Thanks for clarifying, Jason. I must admit, I had to google the definition of both optometrist and opthalmologist! LOL!
I thought your blog was easy access, but I thought my computer had stored your password. That’s awesome news!
Comment By: Jason
December 6th, 2010 at 8:02 am
No worries Jean – yes, it took me a while to understand the difference between them – although I am sure my job is the better choice 🙂
And yes, I thought if I wanted to properly get into the blogging community I had better let my blog be seen by others!
(I will say this is my favourite one so far!)
Comment By: Jean
December 6th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Thank you, Jason!
Comment By: Deanna
December 5th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
It looks like everyone had a fun and delicious time! Your recipe is very similar to the one I use to make gingerbread houses (or a g-bread Hummer, which Holden is working on now). Mine omits egg and vinegar, but is better for construction rather than eating. I’ll bet yours is much more moist and yummy!! I’ll have to try it. Thanks for sharing!!
Comment By: Jean
December 5th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Deanna, I was just watching a show on the food network about gingerbread houses. They cook theirs for 15 minutes, and spray them with water first. Do you use any tricks like that to prevent crumbling? I hope your houses win this year!
Thanks for swinging by & commenting. xoxo
Comment By: Deanna
December 6th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I’ve never heard of the water spraying trick. I’ll have to check that out! I’ve never had an issue with crumbling. The cookie recipe is very crisp (more like a ginger snap), and the secret to keeping it together is all in the royal icing. That stuff is like glue! After the holidays, we usually sit our house outside for the birds to nibble on, and even after heavy rain/snow, it stands for a long time.
Summer and I were going to do an exhibition house this year, but ran out of time, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for Holden’s Hummer. Thanks! 🙂
Comment By: Jean
December 6th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
That is so nice to leave the houses outside for the birds!
Best of luck to Holden! Keep me posted.
Comment By: Sherri
December 5th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Love the cat in the tree!
I always try and bake during the holidays. I’m going crazy looking for just a Gingerbread cookie cutter set, every time I pick one up in the store it already has the gingerbread in it. Just needs assembled. Not what I want. I used to have an awesome cutter kit but it’s packed up in a storage bin at my mom’s somewhere.
I guess I should have listened to my boyfriend and just ordered it online like he told me to a week before Tgiving.
I love Christmas traditions. Love the video of you and the girls. Great photos too. Girls did a superb job on the cookies!
Comment By: Jean
December 5th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Sherri, I love the cat in the tree too, even if I have to rehang a few ornaments that have hit the floor. She is darling!
Hmmm… I don’t know where to find that cutter set. Sounds like your boyfriend was right about ordering it.
Thank you! I loved jumping in to help the girls, and the cookies are really tasty.
Comment By: Bibi
December 6th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Lol, no we don’t have a kitten in our tree…so cute.
Love all you pictures.
Comment By: Jean
December 6th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Thank you, Bibi!
Your Candy Cane Candle craft looks lovely & easy to create.
Comment By: Alexandra
December 6th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
The gingerbread cookies are the b est, aren’t they??
So very much fun to decorate, and dress up..
Oh, and so good to eat.
Hey, and you have snowflakes falling here…for a minute I thought my retinas had detached.
Comment By: Jean
December 6th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
They are so good, Alexandra! I was just nibbling on one.
Yes, snowflakes! They fell automatically last year on my wordpress blog, so this year I found a plugin.
I really enjoyed Baby E’s post tonight! He writes so well!
Comment By: Michelle Saunderson
December 6th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
I haven’t made gingerbread in years, maybe I will give it a try this Christmas.
Comment By: Jean
December 6th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Michelle, your chocolate chip cookies looked so scrumptious, my daughter was trying to grab them through the monitor.
I know you have a lot on your baking plate, but gingerbread is so tasty! 🙂
Comment By: Charlotte
December 6th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
What a great video of the girls baking! Likes like everyone had an awesome time 🙂 My mom has German Christmas cookie recipes somewhere (deeelish!). Haven’t made them since we were young, but it was a tradition I definitely looked forward to each year.
And CUUUUTE KITEH! Awww, love the pic!
Comment By: Jean
December 7th, 2010 at 7:41 am
Charlotte, I’ll bet your German cookies are beautiful & scrumptious!
The kiteh is el rotten-oh! LOL!
Comment By: Krysten
December 7th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Oooh yummy! I like my mom to do the baking and me to do the eating, hehe.
Comment By: Jean
December 8th, 2010 at 7:26 am
Sounds perfect, Krysten. I hope your Mom bakes you plenty of goodies this Christmas.
Comment By: James
December 7th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Send me some!
Comment By: Jean
December 8th, 2010 at 7:25 am
I’d better hurry, James! They are almost all gone!
Comment By: (Florida) Girl with a New Life
December 8th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Your girls could host their own cooking show. That is how cute that video was.
Comment By: Jean
December 8th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Thank you, Florida Girl! You are so kind!
Comment By: Pop
December 8th, 2010 at 10:46 am
I bake brownies and cheesecake. Nothing says, ‘holidays’ like an extra 5lbs of fat around my waist.
Comment By: Jean
December 10th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Oh, Pop, I’ve got the extra lbs from this year AND last year. Boo.
Enjoy the brownies and cheesecake!
Comment By: Helena
December 9th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
I enjoyed your video SO much. Your family is adorable (as are you), and I wanted to just jump through the screen and bake cookies with you all.
Comment By: Jean
December 10th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Thank you, Helena! You are welcome to join us in the kitchen ANY time!
Comment By: Galit Breen
December 10th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
YUM! and FUN! your photos (and video!) are gorgeous and the family time is absolutely perfect! we have the same tradition at our house but i don’t think our cookies turn out quite as lovely as yours! 🙂 and last, but not least, i so love that you mentioned the original recipe and your mom’s handwriting. that just about sums up the good stuff about tradition, doesn’t it? lovely post! 🙂
Comment By: Jean
December 10th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Hi Galit! I need to swing by and see what you’ve been up to! You are one busy woman.
Thank you! Dare I say it? The cookies are nearly gone! There is one saved for Santa though.
I do cherish Mom’s hand-written recipes, and feel fortunate to have them.
Comment By: Galit Breen
December 17th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Go ahead, say it! It’ll make me feel better about *our* almost gone cookies (and chocolates and…ahem…I’ll stop there!)! i suppose there *is* always time to bake more, isn’t there?! LOL
Comment By: Jean
December 18th, 2010 at 10:03 am
LOL, Galit! Yes, there’s time to bake more. Happy Holidays!
Comment By: The Girl from the Ghetto
December 10th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Even though your cookies look yummy as hell and your videos and photo collages are fabulous, I can’t help but love your cat in the Christmas tree pic. Too darn cute Jean!
Comment By: Jean
December 11th, 2010 at 8:06 am
Girl From The Ghetto, I was lucky to snap that pic. The cat hasn’t been up there since!
Thanks, Girl!
Comment By: Single Mom in the South
December 11th, 2010 at 7:21 am
Looks like lots of good memories were made!
1) Usually cookies and white trash, but no time to back this year.
2. No tree up yet, but hoping the two-year-old cat will be over it.
3) Classic
Comment By: Jean
December 11th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Single Mom, I hope your cat is soon climbing your tree. It’s a riot… as long as nothing breaks. ::: fingers crossed :::
Comment By: Angelia Sims
December 11th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Yummy! Those look great and super delicious. The cookie baking traditions are a new favorite of mine. Growing up we always made gingerbread houses with mom. I’ll never forget those memories!
Comment By: Jean
December 12th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Hi Angelia – I’ve yet to build a gingerbread house. I’ll bet you have some super tips.
Merry Christmas!
Comment By: Angelia Sims Hardy
December 13th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Definitely! I hope I have time to make one this year. BTW, Your collages are great! The kitty in the tree is priceless. Lol.
Comment By: carma
December 12th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
I’m not very into traditions – My husband hates that 😀 but I usually try to make some shortbread.
Comment By: Jean
December 13th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Yum – shortbread! Carma, that sounds fabulous.
Happy Holidays to you & yours.
Comment By: gareth
December 13th, 2010 at 12:33 am
Yep , kids and cooking are a great, ( if not messy ) combination !!! jam tarts are firm favourite in our house !
We find betty crocker makes exceedingly good icing too !!
downloading the recipe now….
all the best Gareth
Comment By: Jean
December 13th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Jam tarts sound really good! My girls make “fairy sandwiches” with bread, cookie cutters, and jelly.
Merry Christmas, Gareth! Enjoy the upcoming holidays.
Comment By: (Florida) Girl with a New Life
December 13th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Happy Monday!
Comment By: Jean
December 13th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Happy Monday, (Florida) Girl! I had to dig your comment out of the spam folder. Bad Askimet!
Comment By: JennTh
December 14th, 2010 at 5:55 am
The video was awesome. I loved how you put that together. This upcoming weekend is our weekend to do our baking with the girls and their friends…so I am printing out your recipe!!
Your cat is so adorable in that tree too. I no longer have a cat since I moved away from home 20 years ago…but you know…I miss that tree climbing feline!
Cheers, Jenn
Comment By: Jean
December 14th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Jenn, have a great time baking this weekend! I know you will.
Your ornaments are safer without a feline. 😉
I’ll stop by your blog today and try again to comment.
Comment By: Jason
December 14th, 2010 at 11:39 am
The time has nearly come for me to start making some. 3 days until I am home…let the baking commence!
Comment By: Jean
December 15th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Jason, I hope you have a wonderful holiday! Safe travels home!
Comment By: Diva
December 16th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Jean – Thanks for sharing this recipe. Daughter was out of a school today because of ice storm, so class couldn’t decorate gingerbread cookies before holiday break. I’m going to try this over the weekend! I bought icing to send to school, so that’s half the battle.
Happy Holidays!
Comment By: Jean
December 18th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Hi Diva – Enjoy making cookies with your daughter! It’s good you already have the frosting. 😀 Merry Christmas!
Comment By: Alexandra
December 25th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Your husband has such an important part in this process.
As important as Lucy’s.
Merry Christmas!
Lovely to know you this year.
Love and peace to all.
PS..my hubs loved the vid on the monster truck for the girls..ahem.
Comment By: Jean
December 27th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
LOL, Alexandra. Hubby did make a cameo in the film, and help eat the cookies, so I’d have to agree with you. That was Lucy’s one and only scaling of the tree, so I’m glad I took the time to appreciate her. Merry Christmas to you too. Oh, thank you for saying your hubby liked the Monster Truck movie! Hahahahaha, her reaction still makes me laugh!
Comment By: Heather
December 25th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Beautiful photos, Jean! We’ll be doing these next year – YUM! Merry Christmas! 🙂
Comment By: Jean
December 27th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Thank you, Heather! Merry Christmas to you too! We went through these cookies so quickly. Luckily we saved one for Santa.