125g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
1 egg, separated
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarb soda
- Wash hands.
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare a baking tray by lining it with baking paper.
- Separate the egg so that the white is in one cup and the yolk is in another. Ask mum or dad to show you how.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and the brown sugar and beat them until they are pale and creamy.
- Add the golden syrup and the egg yolk and beat again for another minute or two. Remove the bowl from the electric mixer.
- Add the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarb soda. Use a spatula or large spoon to mix all of the ingredients together.
- Sprinkle some extra flour onto the kitchen bench and scrape the cookie dough onto it. Use your hands to knead the dough until it is smooth. Shape the dough into a flat disc. Wrap it in plastic cling wrap and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Whilst you wait, wash the dishes and wipe down the bench.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. To roll it out, place the disc between two pieces of baking paper; this helps to stop it from sticking. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is about 5mm thick. Remove the top piece of baking paper.
- Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out the shapes. Place them on the baking tray making sure there is a little bit of space between each one.
- Combine any excess dough and re-roll it to cut more shapes.
- Bake the gingerbread men in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool which is when they will be ready to decorate.
- Decorate the men with coloured icing, Smarties and cherries. Don’t forget to make some gingerbread women and in fact, you might like to make a family that looks like your own.
TO MAKE THE ICING:
Take the egg white that was left over and place it in a dry bowl. Use an electric beater to whisk it until it forms soft peaks. Gradually add 1 cup icing sugar and beat it until it is well combined.
Divide the icing into different bowls and use food colouring to colour them as you like. Cover the bowls with plastic and keep them in the fridge until you need to use them.
Use small icing bags to decorate the men and women.
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