These pretty sugar and spice gingerbread men and heart-shaped cookies make a great Christmas treat. Make them into special but cost-effective gifts for your friends and family.
Makes: 20
Prep time: 1 hr
Cooking time: 20 mins
Total time: 1 hr 20 mins
Skill level: Easy peasy
Costs:Cheap as chips
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 30g (1oz) unsalted butter
- 60g (2oz) light muscovado sugar
- 250g (8oz) self-raising flour
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2-4 tbsp juice
- 60g (2oz) ground almonds
- 1 large egg
To decorate:
- 50g (5oz) icing sugar, sieved
- Silver balls
- Parchment paper and baking sheets
- 5cm (2in) biscuit cutters
- Small plain piping nozzle
- Paper piping bag
Method
- Put the honey, butter and sugar into a small pan and stir over a low heat until the butter is melted.
- Sieve the flour, ginger and cinnamon into a bowl. Add the lemon zest and ground almonds.
- Pour the egg, melted mixture and lemon juice into the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
- Knead the mixture on a lightly floured surface for a couple of mins, then wrap in cling film and pop in the freezer for 30 mins to firm up.
- Set the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180°C. Roll out the dough to a 5mm (¼in) thickness, on a parchment-lined surface, and stamp out the biscuit shapes. You should be able to get about 20. Push the tip of a tiny plain piping nozzle near the top edge of each biscuit, and lift out to make a hole.
- Put the biscuits on to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 15-20 mins until pale golden. Cool on a wire rack.
- To decorate: Mix the icing sugar with 4 tsp hot water, to make a smooth icing. Spoon into a paper piping bag with the nozzle. Pipe icing on the biscuits and decorate with silver balls. Leave to set.
Nutritional information per portion
Fat 4.0g
Saturates 1.0g
Calories 135(kcal)
Recipe by