Our Gingerbread

This Gingerbread recipe has been trialed and taste-tested many times over until we got it exactly how we like it, gingery but not bitey. But if you like it with a kick, add 1 tablespoon of ground ginger. We also took out the ground cloves (1 1/2 teaspoons), instead adding mixed spice to make it ‘just right’.

INGREDIENTS:

100g Butter

200g (1 cup, firmly packed) Brown Sugar

250ml (1 cup) golden syrup - you can use treacle if you prefer but it makes the mixture darker.

2 Eggs, lightly whisked

600g (4 cups) Plain Flour

150g (1 cup) Self-raising Flour

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I often add an extra shake just because we love the flavour)

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

ICING: (Optional)

2 Egg Whites

420g (2 2/3 cup) Pure Icing Sugar

1 teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice

METHOD:

1.      Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup (or treacle) in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the better melts and the sugar dissolves. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

2.      Combine the butter mixture and egg in a large bowl. Sift the combined flour, ginger, mixed spice, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda over the butter mixture. Stir until well combined. Turn onto a lightly floured (I use Gladbake under and on top of the dough, floured) surface and gently knead until smooth.

3.      Shape the dough into two round disks and wrap with plastic wrap, placing in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.

4.      Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

5.      Divide the dough into workable portions, rolling out between two more sheets of non-stick baking paper, the bottom sheet lightly floured. Roll to approximately 4-5mm thick. Use cookie cutters of your choice to cut out biscuits and place on lined trays. Cook for around 8-10 minutes (depending on your oven. We like them a little soft but leave longer if you want them crisp). Transfer to a wire cooling rack.

6.      For the icing: place the egg whites in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to lightly beat the egg whites and stir until foamy. Sift the icing sugar over the egg whites and stir until smooth. Add lemon juice and stir until well combined. Put some icing into a piping bag fitted with a 4mm nozzle, and pipe onto the cooled biscuits to decorate. Set aside for 1 hour to set.

7. We bag them up as gifts and have used different shaped stars to make Christmas trees, wrapped in cellophane. Have some creative fun and share the love. xo