Gingerbread Friends

Yesterday our student services department had a picnic for the end of term and invited me along. I said i would make a cake, but the days have been so hot and i felt a cake might melt (especially the way i make them - icing heavy). I wasn't really sure what would be good, but decided that that gingerbread men would be a traditional contribution to the feast. Charming, and not too sickly for eating in a heat wave.

(fun with picture editing - i need to work on my photography skills - this is certain)

Here is the recipe for Gingerbread Men:

You will need:

300g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons of ground ginger

100g butter

175g light brown soft sugar

1 large egg from a hen

4 tablespoons of golden syrup

Some baking paper (optional)

a baking tray

a cooling rack

 some measuring scales and spoons

 a large mixing bowl

a spoon for mixing

a cup and fork for beating the egg

an oven

a sieve (optional) 

a place to wash your hands and utensils

a rolling pin

What to do - 10 easy steps to biscuit joy.

step 1 - turn on the oven to 190 degrees to be heating up.

step 2 - sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a bowl.

step 3 - cut up the butter and wait to soften, then rub this into the flour until all even.

step 4 - stir in the sugar

step 5 - beat together the egg and golden syrup and stir this into the mixture until it forms into dough

step 6 - knead the dough until it's smooth. cut it in half to roll out to 5mm thick and cut into the desired shapes using a man shaped cutter (or bird) 

step 7 - lay these on some baking paper on a tray ready for the oven. 

step 8 - decorate with currents and raisins and other dried fruits as you see fit

step 9 - bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes

step 10 - leave to cool and then enjoy them with tea.

These are easy and delicious. the lessons i learnt were to make sure they were quite thick when rolling them out, and not to let them get too baked. less is more for a chewy result. also i think a little more ginger would have a pleasing effect - i like the gingerbread spicy.

mine were a little baked, but overall very nice - especially the thicker ones. The one i tried the night i made them tasted quite bland, but i think the ginger flavour matured over night and by the time of eating they were really really good. Everyone wanted one, even though their faces were strange so i will give them 9 out of 10.

Even these two.

Gingerly yours,

Emilia. xxx