INSTRUCTION
Preheat the oven to 160’C / 325’F / Gas Mark 3, then grease three large baking trays.
Sift the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Place the butter, golden syrup and muscovado sugar in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until melted. Pour onto the dry ingredients and add the egg. Mix together to make a dough. The dough will be sticky to start with, but will become firmer as it cools.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 3 mm / 1/8 inch thick and stamp out ginger bread people shapes. Place on the prepared baking trays. Re-knead and re-roll the trimmings and cut out more shapes. Decorate with currants for eyes and piece of glace cherry for mouths. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking trays for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Mix the icing sugar with the water to a thick consistency. Place the icing in a small piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and use to pipe buttons or bows on the cooled biscuits.
INGREDIENTS
- 450 g / 1 lb Plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1 tsp Ground mixed spice
- 2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 115 g / 4 oz Butter, plus extra for greasing
- 100 g / 3 1/2 oz Golden syrup
- 115 g / 4 oz Light muscovado sugar
- 1 Egg, beaten
TO DECORATE
- Currants
- Glace cherries
- 85 g / 3 oz Icing sugar
- 3 – 4 tsp Water
Making & Baking 