festive baking: gingerbread

Photo Marie Sjoberg

Gingerbread.  Ginger powder and cinnamon, with a sprinkle of ground cloves and everything smells like Christmas.

Basic gingerbread recipe
60 g butter
60 g dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 egg
175 g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp ground cloves (optional)
1 tsp salt

In a smallish saucepan mix butter, brown sugar and golden syrup (or treacle or honey) until they have amalgamated well.  In a largish bowl mix the dry ingredients, form a well in the centre and pour in the golden sugar mixture.  Mix well, add an egg and stir until you have a nice even mixture.  Turn out on to a very well floured surface – meaning a small pile of flour – and knead the mixture a little bit.  The mixture is so sticky the trick is not to let it stick to the bench.  Cover in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Gingerbread dough keeps well in the fridge for at least a week.  To bake biscuits preheat oven to 200 C.  Roll dough out to about 1/2 cm on a well floured surface.  Cut into your favourite shapes and place on a floured or lined baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes.

Ecco la ricetta in Italiano per i miei amici Italiani!