These little Gingerbread men make the perfect addition to your Christmas build up.   They taste like shortbread but with a delicate hint of Christmas spices, so kids and adults love them alike, particularly if you decorate them like these ones!

Below is the full “naughty” recipe I used as I decided it’s Christmas and a time of treating yourself, but if you’re looking for a healthier option, I also experimented and found that substituting coconut oil for butter, coconut sugar for brown sugar, and whole wheat/ spelt pastry flour for plain works well. All of those ingredients are easy to buy now as their health benefits become more well known, so if you want to make the swap then good choice!

You will need:

• 350g of Plain Flour (or Whole Wheat)
• 2 tspn of Ground Ginger
• 2.5 tsp of Ground Cinnamon
• 2 tsp of Baking Powder
• 125g of Butter (or Coconut Oil)
• 175g of Soft Brown Sugar (or Coconut Sugar and a few tsps. of Honey)
• 1 Egg
• 4 tbsp of Golden Syrup
• Icing Decorations
• Cutters for the Christmas Shapes or Gingerbread men

Method:

Sift together the Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon and Ginger, then add to food processor, and mix in the butter. Blend until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Then add your sugar, beaten egg and golden syrup.

Sprinkle some flour on your surface, then take the dough out and begin kneading it for a little bit.

Pop it in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180’C and greaseproof paper your trays.

Lightly flour your surface again and then roll out your dough, and begin cutting out the shapes and putting them on a tray (not too close together!)

Bake them for 13 minutes and leave to cool. Then ice and enjoy!

I got a little carried away and also made a 3D Christmas tree…!

Hope you enjoy, and Happy Happy Christmas!

PW Pantry x