Simple Christmas Gingerbread Men Recipe

One thing I love in the run up to Christmas is that shift from spending time outdoors to having more time indoors and that urge to hibernate and bake. Festive baking has all the hygge feels with comforting aromas of spices such as ginger, clove and cinnamon.  I love a Christmas recipe that I can whip up quickly by myself if in a rush, or if I have longer, one that is simple enough to make with my children. A simple biscuit dough as time is of essence at this busy time of year.  That said Christmas baking is the perfect way to slow you down and remind you of the fun things at this time of year.  Now I don’t very often decorate my gingerbread men but if you wanted you could either decorate them or alternatively dip the underside of the gingerbread men into white or milk chocolate icing.

• 1/2 Cup of unsalted butter
• 3/4 Cup of light brown sugar
• 1tsp Cinnamon
• 2tsp Ginger (more if desired)
• 2Cups of plain flour / All purpose flour
• 1/2 Tbsp Black treacle
• 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tsp Vanilla extract

Soften the butter and stir in the brown sugar (no need to cream the two too much)

Add in the spices, treacle, maple syrup, vanilla and egg and stir throughly.

Add in the flour and mix with a spoon and form a dough ball with your hands.

Ideally chill your dough for 30mins plus in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit or 160 Celsius fan oven.

Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and and cut out the shapes.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 8-10 minutes

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Christmas Gingerbread Men

A classic Christmas bake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: biscuits, treats

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
• 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• pinch Ground Cloves
• 2 tsp Ginger
• 2 Cups Plain Flour / All Purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp Black Treacle
• 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1 Egg
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

 

1. Soften the Butter and mix in the brown sugar
2. Add in the spices, treacle, maple syrup, vanilla, and egg. Stir thoroughly.
3. Add in the flour and mix with a spoon and then form to a dough ball using hands
4. Ideally chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour. If you have a little person who wants to just make the dough / you don't have enough time, then you can get away with skipping this step and the biscuits will still turn out ok.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 farenheit / 160 clesius fan oven and line a baking sheet
6. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut the Gingerbread men / Cookie shapes out of the dough.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 8-10 minutes
8. Cool on a wire rack

I really hope you enjoy eating your Christmas gingerbread men and maybe even enjoy one or two with a nice cup of hot chocolate whilst watching a Christmas movie.