Christmas Bauble Cookies
Stunning 3D gingerbread baubles that you can hang on the tree, crack open, and shake like a piñata 🎄✨
Ingredients:
Gingerbread Dough
300 g plain flour
125 g powdered (icing) sugar
20 g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp gingerbread spice mix
(If you don’t have this: use ½ tsp ground cinnamon + ½ tsp ground ginger)
75 g honey, melted
25 g butter, melted
2 egg yolks
35 ml milk, plus a little extra if needed
Piñata Filling
Mini candies like Smarties, M&M’s, jelly beans, or sprinkles
Royal Icing (for sticking & decorating)
40 g egg white (use pasteurised if you prefer)
150 g powdered (icing) sugar, sifted
A few drops of lemon juice
For Decoration
White pareilles (or tiny round sprinkles) for the seams
Thin ribbon for hanging loops
Tools
Silicone half-sphere/dome moulds (about 5.5 cm across)
Round cookie cutter (about 5.5 cm)
Piping bag with small round tip
Instructions:
Make the Gingerbread Dough
In a large bowl, whisk together:
Flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and gingerbread spices.
In another bowl, mix:
Melted honey, melted butter, egg yolks and milk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.
Mix with a spoon or spatula, then bring together with your hands to form a dough.
If the dough feels too dry or crumbly, add a tiny splash of milk (1 tsp at a time) until it comes together smoothly.
Shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film, and chill in the fridge overnight.
Bake the Gingerbread Domes
Preheat the oven to 170°C (no fan or low fan).
Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
Roll the chilled dough to about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.
Use the 5.5 cm round cutter to cut circles of dough.
Gently lift each circle and press it over the outside of a silicone dome mould, smoothing to fit the shape.
Place the moulds (with dough on top) onto a baking tray.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, rotating the tray halfway so they bake evenly.
While still warm, press the same round cutter over each baked dome to trim the edges and neaten the shape.
If needed, pop them back into the oven for 1–2 minutes to finish baking.
Let them cool on the moulds for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
You’ll need two domes for each bauble.
Make the Royal Icing
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg white with a few drops of lemon juice.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, whisking until you get a thick, smooth icing that holds its shape (like toothpaste).
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
Assemble the Piñata Baubles
Turn two gingerbread domes upside down so the hollow sides face up.
Fill one dome with mini candies (Smarties, jelly beans, or sprinkles).
Cut a piece of ribbon, fold it into a loop and tie a knot at the ends.
The knot should sit inside the bauble so it doesn’t slip out when hanging.
Pipe a ring of royal icing along the edge of the filled dome.
Place the ribbon knot into the centre, with the loop sticking out.
Gently press the second dome on top to close the bauble, lining up the edges.
Hold for a few seconds, then place the bauble in a small cup or egg carton to support it while the icing sets.
You can also pipe a little extra royal icing into the seam all around the bauble.
Roll the seam gently in white pareilles to create a pretty snowy border.
Let the baubles chill or sit at room temperature until the icing is fully firm.
Decorate the Baubles
Use the remaining royal icing to pipe snowflake designs, dots, stars or patterns all around each bauble.
You can also pipe a little “ribbon bow” at the base of the hanging loop for an extra cute touch.
Leave the baubles to dry completely so the designs are firm.
Now you can hang your gingerbread bauble cookies on the tree or use them as table decorations.
Give them a shake to hear the candies inside… then crack them open like a Christmas piñata and enjoy! 🎁✨