Gingerbread men are a fun sweet treat and are particularly popular with children. Making your own at home is a great activity, especially as this dough can be overworked without affecting the overall taste and texture (perfect if you’ve got little ones eager to do some kneading!). You can also get creative with your decorations—make a standard icing sugar, and use it to stick sweets, chocolate drops, and even edible flowers to your gingerbread people. Do be aware that you will need a cookie cutter in the shape of a person if you want to create gingerbread men—other popular shapes include stars, hearts, and flowers.
Ingredients (to make 10):
- 1 cup of plain flour
- ½ cup of salted butter
- 3 tablespoons of golden syrup
- ½ cup of dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tablespoons of ground ginger 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Instructions:
- Heat the butter, syrup, and sugar together in a small pan until melted.
- In a large bowl, mix together the bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, and flour. Pour in the butter mixture and stir well to combine. Using your hands, work the mix to form a dough.
- On a sheet of baking parchment, roll out the dough so that it is an even thickness (about ¼ of an inch). Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Remove from the fridge, cut into shapes, and bake in an oven heated to 320°F for 10 minutes. Let the gingerbread cool completely before you start decorating (or eating) it.