Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men

chill 2 hr, 12 min bake, 190°C (170°C fan), makes 18

Ingredients

Dry
plain flour       375g
baking powder     12g
ground ginger     6g
ground cinnamon   4g
mixed spice       2g
ground cloves     0.5g

Wet
unsalted butter   85g
brown sugar       165g
egg               1
vanilla extract   10ml
black treacle     170g

Black treacle is the British name for molasses, use either. Golden syrup gives a milder, lighter gingerbread if you prefer.
Roll 4mm thick for soft biscuits, a little thinner for snappy. Roll between two sheets of baking paper and use barely any flour, so they do not bake with a white dusting.

Recipe

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.

Stand mixer: paddle, medium.

2. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then the black treacle on low for 1 minute.

3. Add the dry ingredients in 3 to 4 batches, mixing just until it comes together. The dough is soft.

4. Shape into a disc, wrap, and chill at least 2 hours.

5. Roll out 4mm thick between two sheets of baking paper. Cut out shapes and lift onto lined trays.

6. Bake at 170°C fan for 12 minutes for soft, 14 for crisper. They firm up as they cool and soften a little the next day.

7. Cool on the tray a few minutes, then move to a rack. Decorate with royal icing once completely cold.

Royal icing: beat 1 egg white into about 200g icing sugar to a smooth pipeable paste, loosen with a drop of water if needed. It pipes sharp and sets hard. Shop-bought writing icing works too.

❄ Freezer
Freeze: the wrapped dough, or the baked biscuits.
Use: roll the dough straight from chilled, thaw biscuits at room temperature.
Keeps: dough 5 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen, baked biscuits a week in a tin.