Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men...

125g (4oz) Butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add egg yolk, beat well. Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and syrup, mix well. knead lightly. Divide dough into 6 portions. Roll each portion between two sheets of greaseproof paper to 3mm (1/8 in) thickness.

Gently remove greaseproof paper from top. Cut out gingerbread figures with special cutter or cut around cardboard shape with a sharp knife. Remove any excess mixture around the cut-out figures.

Lift gingerbread figure by the bottom sheet of greaseproof paper, then turn on to lightly greased oven trays. Peel greaseproof paper away. Bake in moderate oven 10 minutes. Cool on trays. Makes approx 20.


Royal Icing
1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar
1 egg white
4 drops lemon juice
food colouring

Sift icing sugar. Beat egg white lightly in a small bowl, using a wooden spoon. Add icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. When icing reaches piping consistency, beat in lemon juice and desired food colouring.

Spoon royal icing into small plastic baby snip off one corner to make a piping bag. Pipe on features and clothing.