Wednesday 31 December 2008

Gingerbread men



Is it possible to enjoy Christmas without gingerbread present in some form? Unlike last year, I didn’t have the time (or inclination) to make a huge gingerbread house so decided on gingerbread men.

Here is Gingerbreadland’s entry for the next Olympic synchronised swimming team event:


If you’re admiring the rather cool silver glitter plate they are resting on, it was a Christmas present from my nephew (The Boy Wonder).


There is something so cute about gingerbread men. I always eat their limbs first saving the head until last. After I’d taken the photo I realised that this poor chap is getting kicked in an unfortunate place:


These gingerbread men were of a theatrical nature. Here they are re-enacting the famous scene from Hamlet. Alas, poor Yorrick......for he is made of gingerbread and is soon to be eaten....


Ingredients:
This quantity made me 18 medium gingerbread men:
125g unsalted butter
100g dark muscovado sugar
4 tablespoons golden syrup
300g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger, I used loads more, so perhaps the quantity should be “as much as you dare!”

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
- Line two biscuit trays with baking paper.
- Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan.
- Mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger.
- Beat in the melted butter mix to make a stiff dough.
- Roll out half the dough between two sheets of baking paper to a thickenss of approx 0.5cm. Work quickly as the dough stiffens.
- If the dough stiffens and won’t re-roll, it can be revived by kneading in a dash of warm water.
- Use whichever cutter you choose and place biscuits on prepared trays. The dough does not expand that much on cooking so you can place the biscuits fairly close together.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until firm and a little dark at the edges.
- Leave to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate as required.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.

3 comments:

Premyscakes said...

They look great, especially the fat one looks so cute.

glamah16 said...

Happy New Year.All the best in 2009.

Katie said...

They are SO cute! I love their little smiley faces