maple street co-op

Gingerbread Christmas Treats
by Sue Verstraten

Gingerbread Men are popular with kids and adults alike. Every Christmas my mum would fill a jar with these tempting treats. "What do I bite off first: the head or a foot?" I would ask myself.

Use a Gingerbread Man cutter or any shape of cutter that you or the children like; alternatively, you can just cut the bread into simple fingers or triangles. Kids can decorate the Gingerbread Men with sultanas before baking or with piped icing for faces and clothing after baking.

Try to use organic ingredients wherever possible.

Ingredients
280 g self-raising flour
1 tbspn ground ginger
1 tbspn cinnamon
1 large tbspn golden syrup
60 g brown sugar
60 g butter
1 tbspn milk

Method
Mix flour and spices. Melt golden syrup, sugar and butter. Make a well in the middle of flour mixture, pour in melted syrup and milk and combine to make a stiff dough. Roll out on a floured board to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into shapes and place these on a greased and floured baking tray.

Bake at 170°C till just browning on edges. Let cool. If still soft, bake for another five minutes.

Have a good one!

[From "Maple Street Co-op News", December 2006/January 2007; published by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.co-op@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]