Ingredients
75g Butter
150g Zusto
350g Plain flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
2tsp Ground ginger
4tbsp Golden syrup
1 egg
2 tbsp Freshly squeezed orange juice
Currants, raisins or smarties to decorate
You will need a gingerbread man shaped metal cutter
Method
- Cream the butter. Add the Zusto, flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger and stir well.
- Measure the golden syrup or honey into a small microwaveable bowl and warm in the microwave until runny. Combine with the beaten egg, then add to the flour mixture and mix well.
- Mix in the orange juice a little at a time until a dough forms. Shape it into a flat disc, wrap tightly in cling film and chill for anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days. If you like, the dough can be frozen at this point for future use. It will need about 3 hours to defrost at room temperature before you can roll it out.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Mark 4 and line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and stamp out gingerbread men. Place them on the prepared trays, spacing them at least 3cm apart, and chill for at least another 15 minutes. Decorate the gingerbread men with currants, raisins or Smarties® before baking if you like an old-fashioned caramelised taste, or press them in as soon as the biscuits come out of the oven. Alternatively, wait until the biscuits are completely cold and stick the decorations on with a tiny bit of melted chocolate or icing.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are dry on top and slightly darker than when they went in the oven. Allow to cool on their trays for about 10 minutes, then use a palette knife to transfer them carefully to a wire rack. They will harden as they cool.
