Saying Goodbye 2011 with Gingerbread Cookies

‘Stay Tuned’ that’s what I said in my last post- 3 months back! Those of you who ‘stayed tuned’ thanks a lot- I really appreciate your patience, those who didn’t please come back..coz I am back! 🙂 Yes the hectic life is getting the better of me and is keeping me very very busy and still I wanted to drop in here for the last time in 2011 with a simple recipe for Gingerbread cookies.

I am hoping 2012 will be a much better year for me- blogwise; I hope I can be more regular so that I can share my kitchen adventures (there have been many!) with you more often.

The Gingerbread cookies; Almost everyone has a recipe for them. Mine is from a lovely book called ‘Home Baking’. This book (publisher: parragon book) is packed with recipes to suit all tastes and occasions -from pies to tarts to muffins and biscuits, simple cakes to elaborate gateaux. So don’t be surprised if you see some more holiday recipes from the book in the New Year.

With 2 small vacationing kids at home, I ran out of ideas to keep them away from any mischief! The little one is quite a handful and the 6 yr.old gets bored easily without any activities.  Gingerbread cookies kept them busy for almost 2 days- 1 day cutting and baking, the next day for decorating. I didn’t have the gingerbread men cookie cutters so our gingerbread cookies are all shapes from Halloween to Christmas 🙂

The cookies were absolutely delicious with the warm ginger + spice flavour and were consumed in no time by the 2 little elves in my kitchen.

Here’s the recipe:

Gingerbread cookies from ‘Home Baking book’

Ingredients:

115g butter plus extra for greasing(I used Amul butter)

450 g plain flour(Maida), plus extra for dusting

2 tsp ground ginger (Soonth)

1 tsp mixed spice (I used apple pie spice mix)

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100 g golden syrup

115 g light muscovado sugar

1 egg beaten

To decorate

85 g icing sugar

3-4 tsp water (or as required to make a thick paste)

Method:

Preheat oven to 160^oC

Grease 3 large baking sheets.

Sift the flour, ginger, mixed spice, and soda bi carbonate together into a large bowl.

Place the butter, syrup and sugar in a sauce pan over low heat and stir until melted.

Pour onto the dry ingredients and add the egg.

Take care the butter mixture is not too hot or the egg may scramble.

Mix together to make a dough.

The dough will be sticky to begin with but will become firmer as it cools.

You can store the dough in a plastic wrap upto a week in the refrigerator.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 3mm/1/8^th inch thick and stamp out different shapes of your choice.

Place on the prepared baking sheets. Re-knead and re-roll the trimmings and cut out more shapes until the dough is used up.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

To Decorate:

Mix the icing sugar with the water to a thick consistency. Place the icing in a small polythene bag/piping bag and cut a tiny hole in one corner. Pipe the desired design on to the cooled biscuits.

Let the icing dry and if you have any left by then store in an airtight container. I didn’t have any left to store! 🙂

I will be hosting a Giveaway in the New Year 2012! So please stay tuned till then 🙂

Till then its Goodbye 2011 …

….see you in 2012 : another New year..lots of new dreams,hopes,ideas and recipes!