Gingerbread Cookie Recipe from Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

The holidays are a magical time to spend at Walt Disney World. The parks and resorts are decked out in their finest holiday decorations. One of the most special things to do during a Walt Disney World holiday visit is to tour the resorts .

What attracts most guests to the resorts during the holidays is their spectacular gingerbread house display. Select resort hotels such as Disney’s BoardWalk, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, roll out their confectionery creations and leave them on display through the new year. Each year the themed displays keep getting bigger and more intricate.By far, the greatest of all the displays is housed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

Not only is it the most elaborate, but it is also life sized. To build it, the great Disney chefs need 800 pounds of flour, 600 pounds of sugar and 1,050 pounds of honey. The inside of the gingerbread house is a working shop. Here you can purchase gingerbread shingles, ornaments and cookies all made from the same Austrian based gingerbread recipe used to build the house.

You can bring the Disney holiday magic home with you by making the gingerbread cookie recipe from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in your own kitchen. While a house as big as the one in the lobby of the Grand Floridian may be a daunting task, feel free to use your favorite holiday or Disney cookie cutters. Or if you are feeling creative, you can use the same recipe to make a gingerbread house, but on a smaller scale.This simple recipe will fill your home with the sweet smells of gingerbread, helping you relive the magic of a Disney holiday vacation.

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Makes 36 cookies

Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients

2 sticks softened butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground star anise
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground mace

Ingredients for decorations

1/4 cup milk
1 cup colored sugar granules

Directions

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth using an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until combined.

2. Sift all the remaining dry ingredients in a separate large mixing bowl and mix well. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until a dough forms

3. Remove dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap; place in refrigerator until firm, two to four hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.

5. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow dough to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until pliable. Divide dough in half and place on floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until about 1/8 inch thick. While rolling, flour the work surface and rolling pin as needed.

6. Cut out desired cookie shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a greased cookie sheet, placing them 1 inch apart.

7. Lightly brush cookies with milk and sprinkle with sugar granules as desired.

8. Bake until firm and edges begin to darken, 10-14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Once your cookies are completely cool, decorate them as desired. You can pipe any type of icing you wish to create beautiful designs or use this quick and easy recipe for Royal Icing.

Royal Icing

Ingredients

3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites

Directions

In a bowl, sift together confectioners’ sugar and cream of tartar. Using electric mixer, beat in 2 beaten egg whites for about 5 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to hold its shape.

Cook’s Note: Star Anise can be hard to find. Your best bet is to check Asian food markets. You can grind the whole anise star using a fine microplane.