Christmas just isn’t the same if I don’t bake gingerbread Angels, Deer or Gingerbread Men!
…. well if Im honest there will always be something baking.
I love this spicy biscuit especially when just baked. Who needs exotic air fresheners when all you need to do is a little baking. The warm aromas of Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and All Spice will have you reaching for the kettle and sitting down with your favourite brew in one hand and a Gingerbread Angel in the other.
I’ve been asked a few times and its worth noting that to build a gingerbread house the dough is a little different slightly dry and once baked not as soft and fluffy as the gingerbread men you might be familiar with. My recipe can be used for both individual biscuits like these angels or if you want to make a gingerbread house. After baked the biscuit is crisp but after a few days they begin to soften slightly.
To decorate the angels or other shapes I like to use Royal Icing and a few soft shell sugar pearls and sprinkles to add a little glam like the red and green and red garland wreath or the gold sugar crystal hearts its really up to you. In the past Ive also used 100’s and 1000’s and they look great too. I hate to admit this but its all up-to the Christmas Tree and the overall household decorations that dictate that years colour theme…..That’s a bit over the top but then again thats me!
You will need:
Rolling Pin
Baking trays
Baking Paper
Cookie Cutter (Angel, Reindeer, Santa) Ive used Angel
Ingredients:
100g Unsalted Butter
200g Soft Brown Sugar
150g Molasses
150g Golden Syrup
1 Egg
700g Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Ginger powder
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Powder
1 Tablespoon Mixed Spice
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1 teaspoon White Vingar
A little extra flour for dusting your work surface
Method:
- Bring the butter, Molasses and Golden Syrup to a gentle simmer mix well, remove from heat, allow to cool.
- Sieve the flour, baking powder, Mixed spices, Cinnamon and Ginger together and set aside
- Add the egg to the cooled butter syrup and mix well
- Mix together the Bicarbonate of Soda and Vinegar, mix into the butter syrup
- Add the butter syrup to the flour, fold through to make the dough.
- Wrap the dough and rest in the fridge before rolling out for baking.
- Pre Heat oven to 180 Degrees and bake biscuits for approximately 12 minutes
Remove the dough from the fridge. Very lightly sprinkle some flour on your work bench. Roll out the dough to about 3-4mm thick. I like to dip the cutting edge of the cookie cutter into the flour shake off the excess and then cut the shape (repeat till you have cut out all) Gently lift the dough shapes onto the prepared baking trays. Leave a good 1-2cm between each shape.
Bake the gingerbread for about 12 minutes (you know your oven, sometimes they run hotter than others so watch the first batch and adjust your time accordingly). Allow the baked gingerbreads to cool slightly on the baking tray before you move them to a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
To decorate your Gingerbread you will need some
Royal Icing
Small Pipping Bag
Sprinkles – Ive used Queens White Soft Shell Pearls (which are great ….No more chipped teeth using the other hard ones “Great Ideas Queens”
Mixed Red and Green Sprinkles for the Garland Wreath
Black or Brown Food Colour Pen to draw on the face (which can only be done after the royal icing has completely dried……don’t be tempted to do it any sooner, trust me! )
Step 1
Fill the piping bag with royal icing (2-3 Tablespoon full) cut the tip of the piping bag so that you can pipe a line. If the royal icing is too runny thicken it up with a little more icing sugar or if too thick add a tiny amount of water (a little goes a long way)
Step2
Trace the shape of the angel all the way round, allow this to dry as you finish the other baked gingerbread.
Step 3
Once the outer edge is dry, time to fill it in. This time you want the royal icing to have a little movement so that it will spread easy but not run away ….if you know what I mean 🙂 Using the same piping fill it with the royal icing again and slowly fill in.
Step 4
Once again wait till the royal icing is dry before you continue with this step. To make the Garland wreath pipe a ring of royal icing onto the angel and sprinkle with the sprinkles. Allow it to set and then shake off the excess. For the hallow pipe a line of royal icing and then gently place the soft shell pearls across and allow to set dry.
Now the rest is up to you! I like to put the angels in clear food / lolly bags tie some colourful ribbon over the top and give them as gifts. Ive used them as name cards for Christmas lunch. Ive even used them as ornaments on the christmas tree. What ever you choose to do Im sure they will be enjoyed by all.
There’s not a great deal to say about these other than they’re part brownie, part cookie… they’re chocolate brownie cookies! So they have that soft chocolate texture in cookie form, and they taste just like brownies. Best of both worlds, right? They got a thumbs up here anyway.
Chocolate Brownie Cookies (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)
makes 10-12
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps plain flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsps oat milk
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
– Preheat the oven to gas mark 3
– Line a cookie sheet with parchment
– Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda. Stir in the sugar and salt.
– Pour in the oil, vanilla and oat milk.
– Bring together to a dough.
–…
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