Gingerbread Biscuits

Gingerbread Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients (make approximately 48 biscuits)

180g unsalted softened butter

160g golden caster sugar

60g honey

1 egg yolk

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground star anise

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

350g sifted plain flour (plus extra for dusting)

1. Put the softened butter and sugar in a large baking bowl and cream them together until the mixture is thick and pale (use an electric mixer or a fork and a bit of elbow grease).

2. Add the egg yolk and honey and mix until well combined. Pour in the baking powder and spices then the sifted plain flour a bit at a time. Mix well and form a ball with the dough. Flatten it, wrap in baking paper (or cling film - I personally use Beeswrap instead) and leave in the fridge for at least one hour before use.

3. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC Fan) and line one or two baking trays with baking paper (depending on how many biscuits you want to bake at a time - you will probably need to make them in batches).

4. Dust a large flat surface with a bit of flour and roll out the dough to 5mm thick. Cut out your biscuit shapes with cookie cutters (stars, gingerbread people, Christmas trees, snowflakes, reindeers etc.) and lay them on the trays leaving about 2cm between them (I can usually fit 12 biscuits on one tray but it all depends on the size of your tray and cookie shapes).

5. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are golden. Take the tray out, let the biscuits cool down for 2 minutes then transfer them delicately onto a wire rack. Repeat the process with the other batches.

You can eat your biscuits as they are or decorate them the way you like (I love dipping them in dark chocolate and let it set before serving). Keep them in an airtight container for up to a week (if you can resist not eating them all...).

Bon appétit!