Christmas Gingerbread

It always makes me smile (with wry cynicism), when the quarterly water/electricity bills arrive. Bright, cheery leaflets slipped in, filled with positive quips and tips. How to be 'energy wise' and 'water smart' and the like. Colourful pictures of dandelions and happy families, crystal clear H2O and children splashing in the sunshine. Ahhh, warm and fuzzy. But then, the actual bill pops out and... that is reality. Yesterday, a bill for the current quarter arrived. Wonderful how the due date of December 23 seems to strategically coincide with Christmas... happens every year. But the Spring issue of 'Energywise' finally offered something useful to me. An enticing recipe for a festive treat I've been eager to try.

I LOVE gingerbread. Gingerbread men/women/children and those splendid houses, all lolly laden and picture perfect. I was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was to achieve a delicious tasting gingerbread AND icing. I used my Christmas cookie/chocolate mould tin for the first time, which turned out lovely chunky shapes. It appears Felix is also a huge fan of the stuff... Angus, not so much. And now I'm itching to take it up a notch and try my hand at a gingerbread house. Adriano Zumbo style. Small steps, Mama. Small steps. 

Christmas Gingerbread

125g butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

3/4 cup golden syrup

1 egg

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup self-raising flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Royal Icing

1 1/2-2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan

Heat slowly, stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves

Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl, beat in egg

Gradually mix in sifted flours, ginger and cinnamon

Form into a ball, cover with glad wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour

I used the cookie/chocolate moulds at this point, pressing mixture firmly into each shape

However, dough can also be used by rolling to 3mm thickness, then cutting into desired shapes

Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for 10 minutes or until cooked

Allow to cool on trays

For royal icing, gradually beat icing sugar into egg white

Add lemon juice, beat to a smooth light mixture 

which will stand in fine peaks when drawn up with a spoon

(I like my icing, so I covered the entire backs of my 

Chrissy shapes... quick & easy... icing may also be piped on for a more 'delicate' look!)