Belated Christmas Post #2 | A Million Gingerbreads Shall Be Baked

I don't know a man alive that doesn't love gingerbread men. Well, I know one,  I have a friend who would rather not eat gingerbread, but I'm convinced she's never given it a solid shot and should welcome the spicy crunchy goodness into her heart.

Not only Christmas, but the entire winter period, is incomplete for me without having endless, fresh batches of gingerbread people in circulation. They're so easy to make, absolutely delicious, and I'll always favour something I've baked myself over a shop-bought item.

I follow this BBC recipe, it's incredibly simple and the biscuits turn out great every time.

          Ingredients

350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling out

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125g/4½oz butter

175g/6oz light soft brown sugar

1 free-range egg

4 tbsp golden syrup

Preparation method

1. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
   
2. Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfim and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
   
4. Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼in thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread men shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.
   
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. 
   
   *I used x2 the measurements to make a double batch. At times, I have also used molasses instead of golden syrup as I think it's a more nutrient-rich alternative, but it does make the biscuits a darker colour, so be warned. In addition, I chop up a root of ginger into tiny pieces and mix it in, because ginger is really good for you and I love it. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 Best eaten fresh from the oven when they're still ever so slightly soft in places but mostly crunchy. De-vine, as Candy Crush would say.