Variations
Cracked black pepper & lemon: Stir 1 tbsp finely grated lemon peel and 1 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper into flour mixture in step 1. Continue with recipe as written.
Chocolate gingerbread: Finely chop 3 squares (about 3 oz/90 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate. Knead gently into dough. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake as directed above.
Chocolate & sugar: Before baking chocolate cookies (above), brush with water, then sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar. Bake as above.
Ginger-pecan: Gently knead 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans into dough. Roll into 1-inch balls. Arrange on baking sheets. Press a pecan into centre of each. Bake 8 to 12 minutes.