thebigfatnoodle

Gingerbread men

Gingerbread men

75 grams soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

1 tablespoon black treacle

1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 pinch ground cloves

Finely grated rind of 1 orange

1 tablespoon of orange juice

100 grams butter

¾ level teaspoon baking soda

250 grams plain flour

Pre-heat your oven to gas 180 degrees (Celsius).

Put the sugar, syrup, treacle, orange juice, spices and rind together in a large saucepan.

Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and add your butter and baking soda, mixing until everything’s combined.

Stir in your flour until mixed in and then set aside in a cool place until it’s chilled enough to handle (about 30minutes).

The dough remains quite buttery when you roll it out and is quite soft but you can easily press the dough back together if it breaks.

Roll the dough out to about 3-5 mm thickness cut into gingerbread men or different cookie shapes.

Bake in the oven for about 10-15minutes and allow to cool first in the baking tray for a couple of minutes, then on a rack, before decorating.