GINGERBREAD MEN

This is one of many festive posts I will publish over the next few weeks (mostly recipes I expect), with a very special post to come next week!

This recipe is from Donna Hay’s Christmas edition magazine (December 2013).  It is very easy and has a great flavour. I think this would be a fun one to make with children and you can use all sorts of cookie shapes.  Of course you can also have fun decorating the biscuits with icing and lollies. 

My end product was quite crunchy so if you prefer your gingerbread soft, perhaps roll the dough thicker.

What you need

125g unsalted butter, softened

½ cup brown sugar

2/3 cup golden syrup

2 ½ cups plain flour, sifted

2 tsp ground ginger (I like ginger so I ‘heaped’ these)

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

How to make it

Preheat oven to 160°

Place the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.  This takes around 8mins or so.

Add golden syrup, flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda.  Beat together until the mixture just comes together to form a smooth dough.

Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of baking paper.  I would also give the paper a light dusting with flour before you role it out.  This will prevent the dough from sticking to the paper.  Roll out the dough to 4mm thick and place in the refrigerator for 30mins.

Remove the dough and take one of the sheets of paper off.  Using cookie cutters, cut out the gingerbread and place on a lined baking tray.

Continue to roll the dough out and cut the shapes until all the dough is used.  I needed to use a bit of plain flour to stop the dough from becoming too sticky.  Just dust the bench top /paper before you roll.

Cook the gingerbread until just browned.

Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.

Enjoy!

If using a small cookie cutter you should get about 30 – 40 small biscuits out of this recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (with peanut butter option)

These cookies are from the good ol’ Women’s Weekly Cakes & Slices Cookbook.  They are very good, very easy and don’t tend to last too long!  If you want to vary them, try adding a couple of tablespoons of organic peanut butter!

What you need:

• 125grams butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 1 ¾ cups self raising flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 125grams chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons organic peanut butter (optional or you can do what I do and add it after you have used half the mixture preparing the balls)

How to make them

Cream butter, vanilla and sugars in a bowl (mixture should be pale when creamed).

Add lightly beaten egg, combine.

Add flour and salt – sift these into the mixture.

Add chocolate chips (and peanut butter if you wish).

Combine everything.

Make dessert-size balls and place on a lined baking tray.  Make sure you space them or they will turn into one giant cookie (this has happened to me before…).  If you want half peanut butter flavour, when you have used half of the mixture, add a tablespoon spoon of peanut butter and combine before continuing to make the balls.

Bake in a moderate oven (180°) for about 10 – 15 minutes.  If you like chewy cookies like I do, keep a close eye on them so they don’t go too brown!

Allow to cool.  Serve.  Enjoy!  They won't last long!