Gingerbread men

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9761/gingerbread+men

Ingredients:

• Melted butter for greasing
• 125g of butter at room temperature
• 100g/1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
• 125ml/1/2 cup of golden syrup
• 1 egg, separated
• 375g/2 1/2 cups of plain flour
• 1 tbsp of ground ginger
• 1 tsp of mixed spice
• 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• Plain flour for dusting
• 150g/1 cup of pure, sifted icing sugar
• 8-10 drops of red liquid food colouring
• 8-10 drops of green liquid food colouring
• Smarties or any chocolate candy for decorating

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180°C and brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease. You can delay this step until your reach step 9 if you wish.

2. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.

3. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until completely combined.

4. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda and then turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

5. Press the dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile it’s time to make some icing. Place the egg white in a clean, dry bowl and beat until soft peaks form, an electric mixer will make this step quicker and easier.

7. Gradually add the icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

8. Divide the icing among 3 bowls. Cover 1 bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Add red colouring to bowl 2 and stir until combined. Add green colouring to bowl 3 and stir until combined. Cover bowls 2 and 3 with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge.

9. Take the gingerbread dough out of the fridge and place between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until it is about 4mm thick.

10. Use a gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes and place each shape on baking trays about 3cm apart. Repeat until you have used all of the dough. Feel free to use different shaped cookie cutters, why not make a gingerbread Christmas tree or snowman?

11. Bake the gingerbread in the oven for 10 minutes or until brown, then remove from oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

12. Place the 3 different icings you prepared in steps 6-8 into small plastic bags and cut a small hole in one corner of each bag. Pipe the icing over gingerbread men to decorate and finish with Smarties or any other candy of your liking. Have fun with this step and get the kids involved, they’ll love it!

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