Gingerbread biscuits

Gingerbread biscuits are one of my favourite Christmas treats. They keep extremely well and are loved by friends and family of all ages. I’ve been tinkering with my gingerbread recipe this year, and this one is, I think, my best ever. My original recipe is still very popular, and requires fewer ingredients, but these are my all-time favourite now. I haven’t bothered with icing biscuits this year, as I just haven’t had the time, but I think these are rather charming cut into Christmas tree shapes and sprinkled with a little icing sugar.

Gingerbread biscuits

Makes 18 large biscuits

Ingredients

250g plain flour, plus a little extra for the work surface

85g light brown soft sugar

4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch salt

75ml golden syrup

120g butter, softened

1 egg yolk

 

Method

Start by sifting the flour, sugar, ginger, nutmeg, bicarb. and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Add the syrup, butter and egg yolk and mix well to combine. This is easiest done in a stand mixer. The mixture will form a fairly firm dough when it’s mixed together. Bring the dough into a ball and flatten to form a disc, around 3 cm thick. Cover in cling film and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C and line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment.

Once the dough is chilled, remove from the fridge and unwrap. Sprinkle the work surface with extra flour and roll out the dough to around 7-9mm thick. Cut out shapes and lay them out on the baking sheet, remembering to leave at least 15mm between each biscuit, as they do expand in the oven.

Once all the shapes have been cut, bake for 7 or 8 minutes for a soft gingerbread texture and 8-10 for a crispier biscuit.

 

When the biscuits have been cooked, transfer the gingerbread to a wire rack to cool fully. They are rather nice enjoyed warm though. They keep for 7-10 days stored in an airtight container.