Gingerbread Biscuits

At this time of the year, many people are making gingerbread in order to make gingerbread house or gingerbread biscuits. 

I have just made a batch of gingerbread, using an American recipe, with an intention of making and decorating a gingerbread house for Christmas. 

Gingerbread 2014 Christmas

         390 grams 00 flour plus more for dusting [3 cups]

         ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda

         2 tsp ground ginger

         1 tsp ground cinnamon

         ½ tsp ground cloves

         ½ tsp mixed spice

         113 gram unsalted butter [half a cup or 4 oz or one stick]

         113 grams Billington’s molasses sugar – for a sweeter biscuit use light or dark brown sugar [a little more than half a cup; 4 oz]

         1 large egg 64 grams with shell – beaten

          250 grams treacle – for a sweeter biscuit use Golden Syrup or Grandma’s molasses [between two third - three quarter of a cup]

1.       Sift all the dry ingredients together twice – flour, spices and rising agent – this is to ensure all the spices and raising agent are mixed in well with the flour

2.       Beat the butter and molasses sugar until it is creamy and smooth

3.       Then add in the treacle and beat until well combined with butter and sugar

4.       Then beat in the egg and continue to mix until well combine and the sugar has dissolved

5.       Then fold in the flour mixture in three batches

6.       Divide the dough into two portions, wrap with cling film and chill the dough in the fridge overnight to firm up

7.       Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick, cut into biscuit size pieces, place these on a lined baking tray and then chill the uncooked biscuits – this will prevent the biscuits from expanding during the baking process

8.       Then bake the biscuits cold from the fridge in a preheated 160 C convectional oven [fan switched off] for 20 minutes on baking trays or baking sheets and when the tops of the biscuits are firm to touch [not burn on the sides!], remove the biscuits from the oven and cool on a cooling rack. 

9.       However, for more crispy gingerbread biscuit, then bake them a little longer.  The more crispy biscuits could be used for hanging on Christmas trees. 

10.   Gingerbread house: I baked the biscuits using a Wilton metal mould at 160 C convectional oven with fan switched off for 22 mins, or until the tops of the gingerbread are firm to touch.  I allowed the gingerbread to cool in the mould for 6 minutes before removing it with the aid of a cooling tray.