There’s something about gingerbread that’s just so nostalgic.

One whiff of its sugary spiciness and I’m back in kindergarten splitting gingerbread men with my best friend Florence or standing in line at the bakery deciding which Simpsons gingerbread character to pick (children of the 90′s, remember them?).

Though I’ve never dreamed of attempting gingerbread until now, I was surprised by how easy it was to make! Not only delicious, gingerbread was a great boost for the ego after failing at macarons three times in the last three weeks.

Milk and freshly baked gingerbread posies

Gingerbread


Gingerbread cookies

Ingredients:

Gingerbread
125g butter
½ cup (100g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2½ cups (375g) plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons all spice (or mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)
½ cup (125 ml) golden syrup

Icing
1 egg white
1½ cups pure icing sugar, sifted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat until combined.

2. Sift dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture with the golden syrup. Mix to a light dough and knead gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

3. Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper until approximately 3 mm thick. Cut gingerbread men from the dough with your chosen cookie cutter and place on baking paper on biscuit trays and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Re-roll dough as many times as necessary. Cool on trays.

4. For the icing, whisk together the icing sugar and gradually the egg white until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag or freezer bag with the corner snipped. Decorate biscuits as desired.

Note – I’ve adapted this recipe from Real Living.