It’s Christmas: Gingerbread season! I was making these today for Leigh’s staff Christmas hampers so thought other’s might be in need of an awesome Christmas gingerbread recipe. This recipe originally came from the grandmother of my old friend Juliet and it’s totally failsafe. Over the years I’ve made hundreds of gingerbread men/ninjas/biscuits and one batch also makes a substantial sized gingerbread house.
I have a funny gingerbread story. Not long after Leigh and I started dating we went on a holiday to NZ and went to the little town where his Dad grew up. We passed a bakery and I went in to get us a treat of some kind. I asked Leigh what he wanted, “whatever you like” was his response. I can’t remember what else I bought, but I did buy a gingerbread man for Leigh. We were travelling along in the car and I pulled out our bakery treats (back in the day when I ate things from a bakery). “I don’t like gingerbread” Leigh announces. It really annoyed me as I’d put thought into what to choose etc etc. Anyway, I was a tad put out and I threw the gingerbread man out the window into a country field! Ever since we’ve had a little joke about gingerbread man and he’s never come around to liking them! About 18 mths ago we were back in the same little town on a family holiday, some 15 or so years later we went back and I tried again….
I have made this Christmas gingerbread recipe with a variety of flours.. plain, buckwheat and gluten free. I think I’ve tried it with almond meal too but given I’m the only one that would eat them I haven’t done that for a while. Good fun to turn the gingerbread men upside down and decorate them as reindeer! Good holiday fun.
If you are a food grade essential oil user (I use doTERRA) you can add a drop or 2 of ginger, cinnamon and clove bud essential oils to really boost the flavours!
You can even make a little wreath by interconnecting them before baking, a cute idea in this years Donna Hay Christmas magazine!
Basic Gingerbread recipe
- 250g butter
- 1.5 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup treacle
- 2 small eggs
- 4 cups plain flour of your choice (I’ve done GF, spelt & buckwheat)
- 3 Tbsp ground ginger
- 3/4 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 Tbps ground cloves
- 3/4 Tbsp baking powder
- Cream butter and sugar. Add treacle and mix.
- Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Sift dry ingredients into the butter mix and mix in gently.
- If the mixture is too wet add in more flour until the mixture isn’t ‘sticky’. If you use bigger eggs it will need this extra flour.
- Refrigerate for 15-20 mins then roll out and cut into whatever shapes you are making.
- Cook at 170C for 15 mins or until golden brown.
- When cooled you can decorate as desired.
* makes enough for about 50 medium gingerbread men or 1 gingerbread house.
And here is my job for tomorrow….
Leave a Reply