Why Use Anna Olson’s Recipe?

I am a self-taught baker. And I achieved this through hours and hours of reading, watching baking shows as well as so much practice (with good and bad results). And one of my favourite bakers to watch was Anna Olson. I watched every episode of Bake With Anna Olson, and saved them to re-watch. She often explains things as she demonstrates, and that always helps me remember better. As well as being interested in how things work.

Over the last 3 years and 2 websites later, I have reviewed several of Anna Olson’s recipes and loved them all. I can’t say that about many popular bakers. But when I needed a new gingerbread cookie and came across her video on YouTube, of her making Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies, I knew this was the recipe to try.

The Recipe Real-time Video

Anna demonstrates how to make these gingerbread cookies on her YouTube channel ‘Oh Yum’. The great thing about this video, is it’s real-time. No quick 60 seconds video where you miss everything. Anna goes through, step-by-step the process, as well as explaining what she’s doing and why.

She actually has a story about the 2nd lot of sugar for the gingerbread crinkle cookies. She had forgotten to add the 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar, and didn’t realise until the dough was already formed. So rather than waste the dough and start over again, she went ahead and worked it into the dough. In the end she realised and explained, that this produced a better crinkle to the cookie and made it chewier. Often this is how things are discovered, by mistake!

The Recipe Conversions

The description section below the video also included the full recipe, so no need to go look for it elsewhere. It also included ingredient conversions. Cups and grams listed and I have to say it’s the first recipe I have reviewed, where all the conversions were correct. Conversions in my article CONVERSION OF UK & US COMMON BAKING INGREDIENTS, are all hand measured by me, as I find Google to not only be inaccurate but inconsistent. I also test my own recipes, using both types of measurement to ensure accuracy.

This must be the first recipe I have reviewed where I haven’t had to add measurement conversions!

The Recipe Process

As mentioned, Anna guides you through making these gingerbread crinkle cookies. But the process is very straight forward and ideal for beginner bakers, or making with children.

The first sugar and butter is creamed together before adding egg & molasses and then the dry ingredients (flour and spices) are mixed in. The recipe produces a dough that is nice to work with. Balls of dough are formed and rolled in icing/powdered sugar before flatten slightly and baking. Once out the oven, Anna has us tapping the baking sheets/trays a few times to flatten the puffed up cookies. Once cooled they are ready! And that’s it.

How Were The Cookies?

Well I am sure you will have guessed that I liked the gingerbread cookies. They were gingery, soft and chewy and very enjoyable. The rest of the family loved them too. So much so, that 2 dozen didn’t last past a few days.

So I can’t say how long they will last, but if you store in an airtight container, (I prefer cake tins), I am sure they will be fine well past 3 days.

Point to note too, instead of the cloves, nutmeg & cinnamon, I used Mixed Spice. That is the equivalent here in the UK & I used 2 tsp.

My Rating Of The Recipe

I can’t really fault Anna’s recipe. It is accurate, and the real-time and well explained video, doesn’t leave any room for disaster. Easy and straight forward recipe procedure, with no need for fancy equipment. You can even make without a mixer if need be.

The only thing that was missing from the recipe was Fan oven temperature and Gas Mark. (For reference, those temperatures are – 140c Fan Oven & Gas Mark 3). Check out my Oven Temperature Conversion article.

So taking everything into consideration, I rate Anna Olson’s Gingerbread crinkle Cookies 9.5/10.

My Rating: 9.5/10

The 2nd Time I Made These

I liked these cookies so much, I made them again for gifting at Christmas. So easy just to double the batch and get about 50 cookies, ready to be shared out.

However, I ran out of a few bits so here is what I used the second time, but still got a great cookie –

Instead of the Light Brown Sugar, I used granulated. And instead of the molasses, I used 55g of Black Treacle and 75g Golden Syrup. If you want to know where to find these in the states, check out my Gingerbread Cake recipe. Used in the loaf cake and also in the mini gingerbread bundt cakes, as photographed below.

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER – I would love it so much if you could sign up for my newsletter. I will send out monthly emails, showing the latest recipes and articles, and latest info. Being a site without ads, building a following, is even more important and will keep it up and running and for free to everyone. Occasionally there will be the odd seasonal emails, but is really a means of reaching you, if you are not already in one of the Facebook groups I admin. Please note too, that these email addresses are not shared or sold onto another party. Thanks so much Caro xxx

Please see the sharing options or even printing, at the right/bottom of your screen (bottom of your screen for mobiles, and down the right-hand side on computers). You can even pin this to your own Pinterest page. You could also leave some feedback if you like.

Don’t forget to check out Anna’s recipe & video – Anna Olson’s Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies Video