More baking brilliance from friend of a friend: a great recipe which little ones can enjoy making too.
These little Rudolphs have a little secret, they're actually upside down gingerbread men!
PREP
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, gas 4
You will also need two baking sheets, with non-stick liners, and a gingerbread man cutter; I use one approximately 2/3in.
INGREDIENTS
- 75g light brown soft sugar
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon black treacle
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 rounded teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of cloves
- finely grated zest of ½ orange
- 95g block butter
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 225g plain flour sifted, plus a little more (if needed)
- 1 tube of white, red and black writing icing (to decorate)
METHOD
- Put the sugar, syrup, treacle, water, spices and zest together in a large saucepan, then bring them to boiling point, stirring all the time.
- Now remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter (cut into lumps) and the bicarbonate of soda.
- Next stir in the flour gradually until you have a smooth manageable dough. Add a little more flour if you think it needs it.
- Now leave the dough covered in a cool place to become firm (approximately 30 minutes).
- Now roll the dough out to 3mm thick on a lightly floured surface and cut out the gingerbread men. Arrange them on the baking sheets and bake near the centre of the oven, one sheet at a time, for 10–15 minutes until the biscuits feel firm when lightly pressed with a fingertip.
- Leave them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
- To decorate, turn them on their heads, the legs become the antlers, the arms the ears and the head his big red nose, with the eyes on what was the tummy!
- I like to give them all their own little characters, making them all a little individual as after the antlers, ears, eyes and nose the rest is up to you!
- Store in an airtight container.
If giving them as a gift pop a few in a polythene bag with a fancy bow and they'll make everyone smile.
Hope you enjoy this recipe, and have a great Christmas.
Emily Doyle
Paper Doyleys
www.paperdoyleys.co.uk
078 555 40 444
