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Easy gingerbread people

Name: Easy gingerbread people
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Makes 20-25 people
Ingredients: 150g unsalted butter; 90g golden syrup; 50g molasses; 50g soft light brown sugar; 350g plain flour, plus extra to dust; 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 4 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp fine salt; For the icing; 200g golden icing sugar; You’ll also need…; Gingerbread person cutter of your choice – we used a small one, around 7cm; 2 large baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper; Piping bag fitted with 3mm plain nozzle

Published: 20 Nov 19
Updated: 13 Sep 24

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without baking a batch of warmly spiced gingerbread biscuits. Try this easy recipe using molasses and golden syrup – they’re fabulously sweet, slightly chewy and look great when decorated!

Easy
December 2019

Test kitchen approved

Makes 20-25 people
Hands-on time 20 min, oven time 8-10 min, plus cooling, setting and at least 1 hour 30 min chilling

Freezable

Nutrition: Per biscuit (for 25)

Calories: 139
Fat: 5.2g (3.2g sat fat)
Protein: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 21.2g (10g sugar)
Fibre: 0.7g
Salt: 0.2g

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Ingredients

150g unsalted butter
90g golden syrup
50g molasses
50g soft light brown sugar
350g plain flour, plus extra to dust
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp fine salt

For the icing

200g golden icing sugar

You’ll also need…

Gingerbread person cutter of your choice – we used a small one, around 7cm
2 large baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper
Piping bag fitted with 3mm plain nozzle

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Method

Put the butter, golden syrup, molasses and sugar in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat and melt gently, stirring until combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and salt to form a dough. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out, flatten to a disc and wrap well. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (see Make Ahead).
Remove the dough from the fridge, allow to warm up for 5 minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin. Use the gingerbread cutter to cut out as many biscuits as possible, transferring to the prepared baking sheets as you go. Re-roll any trimmings and repeat. Chill the biscuits for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 6. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden and puffed, then leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.

For the icing, mix the icing sugar with 40ml water until it reaches a smooth, stiff-but-pipeable consistency. Spoon into the piping bag, then decorate the gingerbread people as you like. Leave to set for at least 2 hours (see Make Ahead), then serve.

Recipe from December 2019 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 139
Fat: 5.2g (3.2g sat fat)
Protein: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 21.2g (10g sugar)
Fibre: 0.7g
Salt: 0.2g

delicious. tips

Keep gingerbread people in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Freeze the dough in labelled food bags for up to 2 months. When ready to use, defrost overnight in the fridge, then roll, cut and bake as below.