Gingerbread cutters are one of the most versatile shapes. Not just for Christmas, with a bit of royal icing decoration you can create these skeletons for Halloween too!
Total time to make : 1hr 10 minutes Time to prep : 15 minutes Time to chill : 45 minutes
Time to bake : 8-10 minutes
Servings : 34 (depending on cutter size)
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter
100g brown sugar
200g golden syrup
375g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
I use this cookie cutter
I like to use this royal icing mix (you can also use ready-to-write icing) and pipe it either in a piping bag with the end snipped off to create a small hole or a Wilton size 2 or 3 nozzle.
Method
In a saucepan, melt together the butter, sugar and golden syrup on a low heat until combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little.
In a bowl, combine the flour, bicarb and spices.
Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and spices bowl and mix together until a dough is formed.
Tip the dough onto a sheet of cling film, wrap up and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
Preheat a fan oven to 160ºC.
Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and roll on a clean surface, using a sprinkling of plain flour on the surface and rolling pin to stop it from sticking, until the dough is about 1/2cm thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut out the gingerbread shapes and place onto baking trays lined with baking paper, bake for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your gingerbread.
Re-roll the left-over dough as necessary and repeat.
Once out the oven, leave to cool on a wire rack before decorating with icing. Remove gingerbread men just as they start to turn golden around the edges, they might still look a bit underbaked in the middle but they'll continue to bake on the baking sheet and they'll cool to still be soft and chewy in the middle.
Nutritional Information
95 calories
1g protein, 15g carbs, 3g fat
Good to know
I love using a silicone mat to roll cookie dough on, it stops it from sticking to the counter and makes it much easier to clean up
Store once cooled in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 4 weeks
Dough can be frozen for up to 2 months, just thaw before rolling, or cut-out shapes stored for up to 2 months, ready to bake straight from frozen
Vegetarian