Make a batch of these delicious gingerbread biscuits for your Christmas biscuit tin. Enjoy these festive spiced biscuits as an afternoon snack. Use Christmas cutters and get the whole family involved in the decorating for a rainy day activity. These yummy gingerbread biscuits will keep for a week in an airtight container.

Ready in: 60 minutes

Makes: 15-20 biscuits

Ingredients

350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
175g dark muscovado sugar
100g butter
85g golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
A tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
For the icing
125g icing sugar
15ml water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and prepare 2 baking trays by lining with baking paper.

2. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the sugar, golden sugar and butter and allow to bubble for a couple of minutes. Then, leave to cool for around 10 minutes.

3. Pour the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add the warm syrup mixture, mix well and then knead in the bowl until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 25-30 minutes.

4. Remove the dough from the fridge and leave at room temperature to soften.

5. Roll out the dough until it is around 3-5mm in thickness and use your chosen cutters to cut out the gingerbread shapes. Re-roll the dough until it has all been used.

6. Place the biscuits on the baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Swap the trays over halfway to ensure the cooking is equal.

7. Once cooked, leave to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to completely cool.

8. If you wish to ice the biscuits, make the icing by mixing the icing sugar and water together to make a paste. Add more water or icing sugar if necessary to make the right consistency.

9. Use a spoon or a piping bag to spread onto the biscuits and decorate with extra sweets if you wish.

You could use a tube of ready-made writing icing if you’d prefer.