Gingerbread family
Character cookies made from gingerbread dough, decorated with different-colored chocolate to create facial features and clothing.
Ingredients
plain flour
350 g
baking soda
1 tsp
ground ginger
1 tsp
butter (cold, diced)
115 g
light muscovado sugar
175 g
egg
1
black molasses (or corn syrup)
2 tbsp
dark chocolate
50 g
white chocolate
50 g
milk chocolate
50 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 6). Grease 2 large baking sheets.
2
Step 2
Put the flour, baking soda, ginger and diced butter into a food processor. Blitz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
3
Step 3
Add the sugar, egg and molasses (or corn syrup). Mix until a dough forms. If needed, scrape down any bits stuck to the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon or spatula.
4
Step 4
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until very smooth and soft.
5
Step 5
Roll the dough out on a floured surface (it may be easier to do this in two batches). Cut out human shapes with a cutter and transfer the cookies to the baking sheets. Re-roll the trimmings and cut out more figures.
6
Step 6
Bake for 15 minutes, until the figures are slightly puffed and the edges are golden. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
7
Step 7
To decorate the cookies: break up the different chocolates. Place each kind in a separate heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted. Spoon the melted chocolate into paper piping bags, snip off the tips and pipe faces and clothes onto the cookies. Leave to set until firm.
