Ginger spiced Christmas biscuits
Warmly spiced, easy-to-make biscuits. Use these for edible Christmas decorations, or pipe your guests’ names on them for place names for Christmas Day. The number it will make will depend on the size of the cutters, but as a guide, this amount of mixture should make about 20. You don't just need to keep these for Christmas – they make lovely gingerbread men as well. Make sure you leave plenty of time to chill the dough - this will make it easier to roll out.
Ingredients
- 500g unsalted butter, diced and softened at room temperature, plus a little extra for greasing
- 350g caster sugar
- 350g dark brown muscovado sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 700g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 8-10 tsp ground ginger, depending on your preference for heat
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
Method
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Step 1
Put the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Beat together until pale and fluffy (use an electric mixer if you have one, it's easier). Add the eggs and stir to combine. Sift in the flour and add the bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt. Mix to combine and form into a ball.
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Step 2
Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, so it firms up well. Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Lightly grease a non-stick baking tray or two with butter.
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Step 3
Dust your work surface and your rolling pin well with icing sugar. Cut the mixture into quarters, keeping the rest wrapped in the fridge until ready to roll.
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Step 4
Roll out each quarter to ½-¾ cm thick. Use Christmas cutter shapes to cut out the shapes you want. Peel away any excess mixture to leave the cut shapes. Use a pallet knife to lift and transfer them to the baking tray, leaving plenty of space between each one as they will spread. Use a cocktail stick to work holes in the top of the shapes to thread ribbon through, if using for the tree (don't make them too near the edges or they'll break).
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Step 5
The cooking time will vary slightly, depending on the size of the cut shapes, but for medium to large shapes, bake for 10 minutes. Check them and cook for another minute or so if needed. You'll need to use your judgement, as they come out of the oven softer, then harden up once cooled. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for 2 minutes.
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Step 6
Using a knife or similar, re-work the ribbon holes as they tend to close up – do this while the shapes are warm or they'll snap if you attempt it when cold. Transfer to a wire cake rack to cool completely, then decorate as you like with piped icing.
