Christmas isn’t Christmas unless I have made a batch or two of gingerbread men. I don’t make them at any other time of the year so when I do make them for Christmas they are extra special.
The recipe I am sharing I have been baking for many years and comes from my much loved Classic Recipes For Christmas cookbook my Mum gave me the first Christmas I had moved out of home.
It has the usual spices of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg but anyone of these can be left out to suit your taste. Personally I only use Cinnamon and Ginger.
I also made this recipe using Gluten Free Plain Flour and they turned out perfect, a little softer then normal but otherwise perfect.
 |
| Gluten Free Version |
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter or Margarine
1/2 Cup Caster Sugar
1/2 Cup Treacle
1 Egg yolk (keep the egg white to make the icing)
2 Cups Plain Flour or Gluten Free Plain Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder or Gluten Free Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Salt
Icing:
1 Egg White
2 Cups Icing Sugar
Food Colourings
LET’S PUT IT ALTOGETHER
1. Cream the butter, sugar, treacle and yolk until light and creamy.
2. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Either wrap in cling wrap or place into zip lock bags and push down flat and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
4. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on to a lined baking tray and bake in a 175 degree Celsius oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool.
Icing: Lightly whisk the egg white in a medium bowl. Then beat in the icing sugar until the mixture holds its shape. You can add food colouring if you like.
Place into zip lock bags and cut the corner tip slightly to make a piping bag. Decorate the cookies, ad sprinkles or sliver balls if you like.
Store in an airtight container.
 |
| Simple version topped with a chocolate mm |
 |
| Piped names of the family and place in a cellophane bag for a Personalised Christmas Day Treat |
Can you freeze the dough?
Yes you, defrost in the fridge overnight when you are ready to bake.
Hello. On your facebook post you said you did it all in the food processor – so from step 1 straight through? Thanks
Hi Rowan yes today I decided to try it in the food processor, so yes from step 1 cream butter etc in the food processor and continue.
I will be making a gluten free batch and a normal batch- do you think using the gluten free baking powder in the other batch will be alright? Thanks
Yes Gluten free baking powder will be ok.
Thanks- just read that my usual baking powder is gluten free anyway.
About to attempt making biscuits with a 3 year old-wish me luck!
Hello! I’m allergic to raw egg – is there something I could use instead of the egg white in the icing? Thank you!
Hi Louise you can simply use icing sugar and a few drops of warm water. use very little as you want to make a paste consistency. The only difference is that it won’t set as well as using the egg white, but it will still work. Otherwise I would suggest buying the premade piping gels.
ive made the dough, refrigerated it for an hour and a half, but every time I roll it out and attempt to cut my ginger-girls, the dough just seems to get damp and won’t hold shape! I’ve added more flour and it’s still doing it, help please, what am I doing wrong??
Hi Bron, is it hot in your kitchen? Try placing in the freezer for 15 minutes and then work with only small amounts of the dough at a time. Leaving the remaining dough in the fridge while you do so.
Hi Amanda
Just wondering can you use golden syrup instead of treacle ? Would it affect the taste much? It’s just I use golden syrup a lot but never treacle just wanting to not buy something I won’t use much except for the recipe
Thanks 🙂
Can you bake them then freeze them
Yes you can.