This recipe makes around 200 delicious biscuits so be sure to half or quarter if you need less.


You need:

  • 400g sugar
  • 200ml dark syrup/treacle
  • 200ml water
  • 250g butter chopped into small cubes
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tbsp ground cloves
  • 1 ½ tbsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1040g plain flour and extra for rolling out the dough
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate

Day 1


1.
Grown-ups only: Pour sugar, syrup and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Put the pan to one side


2.
Put all the spices into a large mixing bowl with the butter. Add the hot sugar mix and stir with a wooden spoon so that the butter melts and you get a smooth mixture. Stir now and again whilst letting it cool down


3.
Add bicarbonate to the flour and slowly stir into the mixture until you’ve got a workable soft dough


4.
Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough expand in the fridge overnight. The dough can be left in the fridge for a few days if you cover it tightly with cling film

Day 2


1.
Pre heat the oven to 200C


2.
Take a piece of the dough and roll it out with a light touch either onto a floured worktop or straight onto a baking sheet. Use cookie cutters to make different shapes


3.
Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake the gingerbread for approximately 5 minutes – keep an eye on them so they don’t burn


4.
Let the gingerbread biscuits cool down before you decorate them with icing

Icing for approx. 200 biscuits


1.
Mix the icing ingredients until smooth


2.
Fill an icing bag with the icing a decorate your cookies. Let the icing harden before moving the biscuits over to a biscuit tin

Tips

Write names on the biscuits for an edible name place

Place a hole near the top before baking so you can thread a ribbon through

Make a box and gift them to teachers, family and friends!