The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (2024)

By Author Toni Broome

Posted on - Last updated:

This truly is an old fashioned gingernut biscuit recipe! I was putting together a quick batch for a picnic over the weekend and realised I’d been making this particular recipe for well over 30 years. You know you have a winning recipe when you remember it by heart all those years later and still make them regularly.

The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (1)

It’s an awesome back pocket recipe for when you don’t have much exciting in the pantry, they also don’t melt which is a big bonus for Australian picnics and they don’t drop too many crumbs which is great for cleaning the car after a road trip.

We’ve been heading out on a few road trips again lately and working our way through many of these 25 fabulous day trips from Brisbane again before setting our sights on a few longer distance drives. These gingernut biscuits are a staple either way!

The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (2)

Now I know the original recipe came from a small softcover book, one of those black and white ones with no photos. I think it was Alison Holst but as I say that was over 30 years ago and I don’t have the original book so I make if from my head and I know its evolved a little from the original over the years and been scaled up to make a decent batch but this version works well every time. I often double this recipe, as they last well in an airtight container if they get the chance.

Now if you don’t know who Alison Holst is she’s a Kiwi icon. She’s been on cooking shows and writing books since before I was born and she basically ‘taught’ every Kiwi of my generation how to cook with nutritious, affordable everyday recipes. Which in turn fostered a love of local, fresh food and a bit more experimenting in the kitchen – with these old faithfuls to turn back to from time to time.

Table of Contents

  • Making Gingernut Biscuits
    • Getting set up
    • Preparing the Cookie Dough
    • Getting ready to bake
  • Old fashioned gingernut biscuits
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes
          • Nutrition Information
    • Did you make this recipe?

Making Gingernut Biscuits

Getting set up

I turn the oven on to bake at 180°Celcius or fan bake at 170°Celcius as I get started, the trays should be ready to load by the time the oven is up to heat. Fan bake will cook and colour more evenly when you have multiple trays in the oven at once.

I also suggest lining your trays with baking paper as it speeds up the dishes afterwards but greasing them or using silicon baking sheets will also work.

Preparing the Cookie Dough

I was born in the UK, grew up in New Zealand and now call Australia home, so I definitely call these biscuits not cookies but for some reason, I’ve noticed that I call the uncooked mix cookie dough, no idea when I picked that up.

Something I really do appreciate with this recipe is that I can make it all in the one pot so if you start with a larger one than you need to melt the butter you’ll save time at the sink later.

Melt the butter together with the golden syrup. Stir in the sugar and then the beaten egg. Finally add the dry ingredients, the flour, baking soda and ginger. Then stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined, it will only take a few turns.

There’s not a lot of ingredients and they are things that are always in my fridge and pantry making these so easy to whip up at any time.

Getting ready to bake

Line up your lined baking slides next to your dough. Wet your hands just slightly and begin rolling the dough into smooth balls about the size of a 20c coin. Having wet hands stops the dough from sticking to you and helps get them sized evenly and smoothly for a more visual appealing end result.

Place the 2 trays into the oven at a time and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (3)

Old fashioned gingernut biscuits

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

A quick and easy gingernut biscuit recipe that is quite simply, THE BEST. Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy in the centre with a delicious hit of ginger.

Ingredients

  • 100 grams of butter (melted)
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • 1 cups of raw sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cups of plain flour

Instructions

    1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the golden syrup.
    2. Stir in the sugar and allow to cool a little before the next step
    3. Add beaten eggs, the baking soda, ginger and flour and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
    4. Line baking sheets with baking paper
    5. Dampen hands to stop it sticking and roll the dough into balls, place on the trays
    6. Bake at 180c (or 170 fan bake) for 10-13 minutes until golden.
    7. Remove from oven and allow to cool before storing in airtight containers.

Notes

I use raw sugar in this recipe and a lot of my baking. It adds a delicious caramel flavour but isn't necessary for the recipe, you can use plain white sugar if that is what you have available or prefer.

I highly recommend doubling the ingredients in the recipe to make a double batch of 48 cookies, they keep well and it can be a great time saver. The recipe has been tested this way many times and works perfectly.

Nutrition Information

Yield 24Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 98Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 17mgSodium 85mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 0gSugar 8gProtein 1g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook

Do you love an old fashioned homemade biscuit now and again? What are your favourites?

If you found this recipe useful please consider saving it to Pinterest. It helps us, and it helps other home bakers to find the recipes they are looking for.

The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (4)
The best road trip Gingernut biscuit recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to an excellent biscuit? ›

Use Cold Butter for Biscuits

For flaky layers, use cold butter. When you cut in the butter, you have coarse crumbs of butter coated with flour. When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside.

Why are my ginger biscuits so hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

Are gingernut biscuits good for your stomach? ›

Dr Michael Mosley has confirmed that gingernut biscuits can help ease nausea and even morning sickness. While we might all be familiar with the old wives' tale, it has been proven that ginger does help tackle symptoms of nausea.

What are the 4 steps of the biscuit method? ›

Steps in the Biscuit Method
  1. Measure the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. ...
  2. Cut in the shortening, margarine, or butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is granular with particles no larger than kernels of grain.
  3. Combine the liquid ingredients in another bowl.
  4. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients.
May 28, 2020

Is it better to use butter or crisco for biscuits? ›

So what's the final verdict? Butter is the winner here. The butter biscuits were moister with that wonderful butter taste and melt-in-your mouth texture. I'd be curious to test out substituting half or just two tablespoons of the butter with shortening to see if you get the best of both.

What type of flour makes the best biscuits? ›

Strains of soft winter wheat have less protein than the hard spring wheat and therefore southern all-purpose flours are better-suited for quick breads such as biscuits, cakes and muffins.

How to enhance ginger flavor? ›

Cinnamon: Cinnamon enhances the spiciness of ginger and adds warmth and depth to confections. The combination of cinnamon and ginger is commonly found in cookies, cakes, and spiced candies. Coconut: Coconut adds a tropical sweetness to ginger confections, creating a unique treat.

How to get cracks on ginger biscuits? ›

Facebook
  1. Don't overmix the dough otherwise gluten will. ...
  2. The oven should be hot enough. ...
  3. Use both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. ...
  4. Avoid opening the oven before the biscuits are well. ...
  5. There has to be corn or golden syrup added to the. ...
  6. If you want the biscuits to be soft instead of.
Oct 29, 2021

Why don't my ginger biscuits spread? ›

If you reduce the amount of butter or oil in a recipe, your cookies won't spread as much. If you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as much. If your cookies have more brown sugar than white sugar, they won't spread as much. It's a careful balance.

Can type 2 diabetics eat ginger biscuits? ›

Foods to try instead

Sugar free or “no added sugar” squash. 1 small glass (150ml) of pure fruit juice or smoothie a day. 1 to 2 plain biscuits such as Rich Tea, Oatcakes, Ginger or Garibaldi. A small serving of low fat milk puddings such as rice pudding, semolina or low fat custard.

What is the healthiest biscuit to eat? ›

  • Maryland Cookies Sugar Free Chocolate Chip 200g. ...
  • Siro Oaty Sugar Free Biscuits 300g. ...
  • Siro Sugar Free Digestive Biscuits 400g. ...
  • Good Guys Bakehouse Cheddar Biscuit Melts 50g. ...
  • Nairn's Chocolate Orange Oat Biscuits 200g. ...
  • Good Guys Bakehouse Peppered Biscuit Melts 50g. ...
  • Lotte Pepero Almond & Chocolate 32g.

Are ginger biscuits anti-inflammatory? ›

Ginger biscuits also have anti-inflammatory effects, thereby are important for problems like rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, ulcerative colitis and bursitis.

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

Just as important as the fat is the liquid used to make your biscuits. Our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe offers the choice of using milk or buttermilk. Buttermilk is known for making biscuits tender and adding a zippy tang, so we used that for this test.

Is it better to use milk or buttermilk in biscuits? ›

What's the Difference Between Buttermilk Biscuits and Regular Biscuits? As the names might suggest, regular biscuits do not contain buttermilk, while these do. Regular biscuits are typically prepared with milk or water instead. Buttermilk adds a nice tang to the biscuit flavor and helps them rise better.

What is the best temperature to bake biscuits? ›

If you have time, prepare the biscuits up to the point they're on the pan before preheating your oven. Place the pan of biscuits in the refrigerator while you preheat your oven to 425°F, or for about 20 to 30 minutes.

What makes a high quality biscuit? ›

Fat is also important because it adds tenderness to the dough; full-fat buttermilk and European-style butter can help with texture, but "full-fat" is the critical point — sour cream, olive oil, and nut milks can all be used to create successful biscuits, provided they have a high-fat content.

What makes biscuits taste better? ›

Sugar and Salt: Add flavor. We don't add a lot of sugar (just 1 tablespoon). Cold Butter: I love using European-style salted butter, like Kerrygold or Plugra, since they make our biscuits tender and delicious. If you don't have European salted butter, plain butter works (salted or unsalted).

What is the king of biscuit? ›

Parle G: the King of Biscuits.

What is the most important step in biscuit making? ›

Mixing. The multi-stage mixing method is preferred for its ability to produce consistent doughs which are not fully developed. Blending all dry ingredients to rub or cut the shortening into the flour until fat is fully distributed and pea-sized lumps are visible.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Mr. See Jast

Last Updated:

Views: 6424

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mr. See Jast

Birthday: 1999-07-30

Address: 8409 Megan Mountain, New Mathew, MT 44997-8193

Phone: +5023589614038

Job: Chief Executive

Hobby: Leather crafting, Flag Football, Candle making, Flying, Poi, Gunsmithing, Swimming

Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.