Gingerbread Cookies

Nothing says christmas like freshly baked gingerbread cookies. Paired with a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and marshamllows, these soft and chewy gingerbread cookies make the perfect accompaniment. 

Ingredients

• 350g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger
• 115g butter, cubed
• 175g soft light brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 and lay parchment paper on a few baking trays ready for the biscuits 
• Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl.Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs; stir in sugar. Beat syrup into egg then stir into flour mixture.
• Knead the dough until smooth. Roll out to 1/2 cm thick on a lightly floured surface; stamp or cut out desired gingerbread men shapes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and puffed, about 10-12 minutes. Let them sit on the tray for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack.
• Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating with royal icing

Royal Icing Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 225g icing sugar sifted
• Food colouring of your choice

Method

• Place the egg white in a clean bowl and whisk using an electric mixer until soft peaks are formed
• Slowly add the icing sugar into the egg whites and continue mixing for another 5 minutes until the icing has the consistency of toothpaste. 
• Pour the mixture into a piping bag and start decorating!