Gingerbread men are fun to make, decorate and eat – and they make the house smell fantastic too. Here is a very easy and tasty Gingerbread Men Recipe that you will enjoy making with your kids!

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Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas in our house without making some gingerbread men. We love baking them and decorating them together. It really makes us feel festive and, of course, they are super yummy to eat too!

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Gingerbread Men Recipe

This recipe makes 8-10 gingerbread men, depending on the size of your cookie cutter. The dough also freezes well so you can make it ahead, freeze it and just allow it to defrost in plenty of time before you want to roll it and bake it.

Ingredients

• 250g / 8oz plain flour
• 75g / 3oz butter, softened
• 75g / 3oz brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 50g / 2oz golden syrup
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add bicarbonate of soda, golden syrup and egg yolk and stir well.
3. Sift the flour and spices into the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
4. Shape into a ball and knead lightly on a work surface until smooth.
5. Wrap the ball in clingfilm and chill for 1/2 hour.
6. Flour your rolling out surface and roll out dough to e.g. 5mm in thickness and then use gingerbread cutters to cut out shapes.
7. Place on greased baking sheets, leaving a space between each. If you intend to hang them on your Christmas tree make a hole at the top. A plastic drinking straw is perfect for making the hole.
8. Bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for about 10-12 minutes until they have turned golden brown. They should still feel slightly soft.
9. Transfer to a wire tray to cool.

How to Decorate Your Gingerbread People

1. You can use writing icing, small sweets, chocolate chips, glacé cherries – whatever you have in your baking cupboard.
2. When your gingerbread people are completely cool, decorate the biscuits with icing and the other bits (the icing will work as glue).
3. Thread through some cord or ribbon through the holes and knot if you want to hang your gingerbread men on the tree!

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Have your say! Have you tried this gingerbread man recipe yet? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!