Gingerbread Men and Ladies

This is a FANTASTIC recipe, which is COMPLETELY fool-proof! I have made these 2 years running with 28 teenagers and have NEVER had a bad batch. This year, we actually ran out of half of the ingredients and totally made a batch up without the egg, twice as much butter and a splash of milk instead and it still tasted delicious!!! In fact, I had calculated how much we needed of everything, so by running out of ingredients, implies they made it all up anyway! (How on earth the still tasted fabulous I will never know, but you you really couldn't tell the difference between them all, Brownie's honour!)

To promote social equality, we made Gingerbread men AND ladies and the fun bit was decorating them! Here are a few of the best examples:

This is my particular favourite! Check out those teeth!! :)

Mrs No-Legs

Ingredients:

• 125g Butter
• 1 Egg
• 350g Plain Flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 240g Light Brown Sugar
• 3 tbsp Golden Syrup

Makes around 15 gingerbread people, but ours were large!!

Prep time: 20 mins

Baking time: 12- 15 mins

Method:

1. Sift together, the flour, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon.
2. Add the butter and combine till the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the sugar.
4. Lightly beat your egg and golden syrup together and add to your breadcrumb mix. Knead together till the mixture resembles a dough.
5. Wrap in cling-film an chill for half an hour. (We did't have time for this, so missed this out and they still tasted great.)
6. Line your baking trays and preheat your oven to 180oC/ 350oF or Gas mark 4.
7. Roll out your dough and cut into whatever shape you fancy - get creative!!
8. Bake for 12- 15 mins or lightly golden brown. (They will still be very soft, but will firm up when cooled.)
9. DECORATE :)