The Best Gingerbread Recipe plus Gluten Free Variant

Christmas isn't Christmas unless I have made a batch or two of gingerbread men.  I don't make them at any other time of the year so when I do make them for Christmas they are extra special.

The recipe I am sharing I have been baking for many years and comes from my much loved Classic Recipes For Christmas cookbook my Mum gave me the first Christmas I had moved out of home.

It has the usual spices of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg but anyone of these can be left out to suit your taste. Personally I only use Cinnamon and Ginger.

I also made this recipe using Gluten Free Plain Flour and they turned out perfect, a little softer then normal but otherwise perfect.

Gluten Free Version

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Cup Softened Butter or Margarine
1/2 Cup Caster Sugar
1/2 Cup Treacle
1 Egg yolk (keep the egg white to make the icing)
2 Cups Plain Flour or Gluten Free Plain Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder or Gluten Free Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Salt

Icing:
1 Egg White
2 Cups Icing Sugar
Food Colourings

LET'S PUT IT ALTOGETHER

1. Cream the butter, sugar, treacle and yolk until light and creamy.
2. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Either wrap in cling wrap or place into zip lock bags and push down flat and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

4. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on to a lined baking tray and bake in a 175 degree Celsius oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool.

Icing: Lightly whisk the egg white in a medium bowl. Then beat in the icing sugar until the mixture holds its shape. You can add food colouring if you like.

Place into zip lock bags and cut the corner tip slightly to make a piping bag. Decorate the cookies, ad sprinkles or sliver balls if you like.

Store in an airtight container.

Simple version topped with a chocolate mm

Piped names of the family and place in a cellophane bag for a Personalised Christmas Day Treat