Gingerbread Men

If you love food and cooking as much as I do, then I bet you enjoy Christmas time, too. What could be better than spending time with loved ones over delicious meals and bakes. This year I have invited a few blogger friends to guest post some lovely Christmas dishes together with what I prepared in order to bring up some excitement atmosphere for coming Christmas season.

How could Christmas do without these lovely Gingerbread Men. I am sure most of us are familiar with the popular nursery rhyme where the story mentioned about an old couple whom baked a "Gingerbread Man" that became alive. So whenever during Christmas season while we are baking these lovely cookies, my boy would always asked me whether those "gingerbread men" that he made would be jumping out of the oven?

These are some collage photos of the ingredients and steps on making these lovely bakes.

Ingredients (makes 8)

60g Butter, soften
65g (1/3 Cup) Brown Sugar
30ml Maple Syrup
1/2 Egg, lightly beaten
155g (1 1/4 Cups) Plain Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 Tablespoon Mixed Spices

For Icing:
150g (1 Cup) White Chocolate Melts
Silver Cachous, to decorate
Christmas Sprinkes, to decorate
Food Colouring, optional

Note:-

~ You can omit adding of mixed spices to this recipe if you/your kids do not like the aroma/taste of it.

~ Replacement of Maple Syrup with Honey can be done in this recipe too.

These lovely bakes are pretty easy to be made except you would need to put the soft dough into the refrigerate for at least an hour or until firm to cut. And remember you have to work fast on the dough during hot/humid weather as it tends to be soften easily and the cutout shapes would be effected. (If dough starts to get sticky, put back to the fridge for another 5 - 8 minutes before continue with it for easier cutout of shapes)

Method:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add maple syrup and egg then continue to beat till combined.
2. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spices over butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until just combined to form a soft dough.
3. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, knead gentle until smooth.
4. Flatten it slightly between two sheet of baking paper and keep it in the fridge for about 1 hour or till firm.
5. Preheat oven to 170 degree and line baking tray(s) with baking paper, roll dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 0.5cm thick.
6. Using a 6.5cm wide and 7.5cm long (or any medium size) gingerbread man cutter, cut shapes from dough.
7. Re-roll dough scraps and continue to cut shapes till dough is used up. Place the cut dough about 2 cm apart, on prepared tray(s).
8. Bake 1 tray at a time for 20 minutes or until firm to tough. Stand on tray(s) for 5 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

For Decoration:

1. Place white chocolate melts in a heatproof microwave-safe bowl, microwave it on MEDIUM-HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds till smooth.
2. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon each time into small plastic bag, snip off 1 corner and pipe faces and buttons onto gingerbread men.
3. Decorate the buttons with cachous and or other Christmas decoration sprinkes.
4. For colour icing, you can mixed a drop or two of the desire colour(s) into small amount of melted chocolate, stir till combined and use accordingly.
5. Set aside the completed gingerbread men to set before storing them in air-tight container.

So if you are looking for some quick and easy FUN bake to do with your kid(s) during this festive season perhaps you can consider this “Gingerbread Men”. I am sure your kid(s) would like the process of stirring, rolling, cutting as much as the finally decoration touch up. Have fun everyone!

And now I am submitting this post to "Aspiring Bakers #2: Christmas! (Dec 2010)", hosted by Passionate About Baking at this link HERE.