Thursday 24 November 2011

Run, Run As Fast As You Can...


The pleasures of Christmas baking.  One of my favourite treats but especially at Christmas is gingerbread cookies.  I have family in Sweden and have been very fortunate to have travelled there many many times over the years, but most recently a few years ago just prior to Christmas with my Son.  We spent a wonderful few days catching up with family, ice skating, celebrating Advent and sightseeing.  We ate gingerbread, drank glug (type of mulled wine) and admired all the beautiful Christmas displays - oh the wonders of a cold wintery Christmas - magical!

Where I'm going with all the Swedish stuff are these gingerbread men.  Its a traditional Swedish recipe for Gingerbread Cookies.  I have adapted this to be Gluten Free and they work really well.  While best if eaten fresh, they will keep for a few days in an airtight container.  The beauty of this recipe is you can make it and keep the dough in the fridge or freezer then cut hunks off when you want cookies roll it out and bake in an instant - Awesome!

You need to make the dough the day before you want to use it.

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Golden Syrup
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Ground Cloves
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Ground Cardamom
2 tsp Bicabonate of Soda (Baking Soda)
150g Unsalted Butter 
1 + 1/4C  White Sugar
3+3/4 C GF Flour

  1. Mix the butter sugar and syrup together and heat gently until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add your spices and Bicarb of Soda then the water and mix.
  3. Now add half of your flour and combine well.
  4. Add the rest of your flour and it should begin to pull together into a softish dough.  
  5. Remove from bowl and wrap in cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
  6. The next day or when you want to bake it, turn your oven to approx 200C.
  7. Roll the dough as thin as possible - I do this between 2 sheets of baking/greaseproof paper.
  8. Cut out your cookies using cutters and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  9. Bake for approx 5 minutes or until they start to turn dark golden.  Keep an eye on them though as they will burn quick.
These make quick easy decorations for your tree, gifts for friends or teachers or in bad weather a great project for the kids - make a big batch and get them to decorate them then eat them.

TIP:  The thinner you roll the dough for your cookies the crisper they will be.  Thicker is softer.  Also watch the super thin ones will bake in a few minutes only don't leave your oven!

Keep the dough quite happily in your freezer up to 3-4 months using as you need it.

Enjoy !

p.s I have it on good authority that Santa just LOVES these cookies with a glass of milk (or GF Beer) on Christmas Eve...hahahaha

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