GINGERBREAD

CHRISTMAS DECORATION & SNACK!

INGREDIENTS:
3½ cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice or cloves
……………………………………
140g butter (room temp)
1tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
¾ cup molasses (or black treacle)

DECORATION:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp lemon juice
Sprinkles

UTENSILS:
Large mixing bowl, microwave proof bowl or saucepan, wooden spoon, clingfilm, rolling pin, baking paper, baking tray, cookie cutters, sieve, whisk, piping bag (optional)

METHOD:
Gather and measure out all the ingredients.
Pour the dry ingredients into large mixing bowl and mix.
Soften the butter and treacle in a pan or microwave.
Add the vanilla essence and egg to the butter mix. Whisk and pour into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix ingredients together, then knead with your clean hands, before making a large ball of dough.
Wrap in clingfilm and place in fridge to chill (ideally for a few hours.)
When ready to bake your Gingerbread, preheat oven (180 degrees Celsius.)

Prepare a lightly floured, flat surface. Remove the dough from the fridge and take off golf ball size pieces at a time.
Roll dough into a ball, place between two sheets of baking paper and roll flat (1-2 cm thick.)
Using the cookie cutters, cut out your shapes and transfer to lined baking tray.
Repeat rolling and cutting out shapes until you have no more dough.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes (the Gingerbread will firm up when cool.)

To make the icing, sift the icing powder into a bowl and add the lemon juice and hot water. Whisk until the icing is a smooth paste. Add food colouring if you would like different colours! Set aside.
Decorate the Gingerbread with icing and sprinkles, when cool.