Run, run, run as fast as you can
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man…
Everyone has their own recipe for Gingerbread Men – ours uses Date Molasses and Muscovado sugar. The dough is quite sticky and hard to work, so be sure to chill it well before rolling out.
- 500g plain (AP) flour
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sifted
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice (we use one from Herbie’s Spices)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 250g unsalted butter
- 160g Muscovado dark brown sugar
- 1 large (59g) free range egg
- 160g date molasses
- 100g icing sugar mixture, sifted
- 2 – 3 teaspoons water
1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the sea salt, mixed spice and ginger.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the egg and date molasses.
3. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate the dough until well chilled and firm – at least a couple of hours and preferably overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160C with fan. Lightly spray two large sheets of parchment paper with oil. Additionally, line two baking trays with ungreased parchment paper.
5. Using a third of the dough at a time, roll it out between two sheets of greased parchment until approximately 5mm thick. Remove the top sheet and, using well floured (or oiled) cutters, cut out the Gingerbread Men. Transfer carefully to the lined trays. The leftover dough can be gathered up, re-chilled and used to make more cookies.
6. Bake the cookies for 10 – 13 minutes, or until just firm – do not overbake. Allow to rest on the trays briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To prepare the icing – sift the icing sugar mixture into a large bowl, then gradually whisk in the water to firm a thick, spreadable mix. Transfer to a small piping bag and decorate the cooled cookies as desired.
This recipe made two dozen large Gingerbread Men, and kept all the big and little kids on the street very happy!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Oh dear Celia, these are so lovely and so delicious… reminds me my memories… Thank you, have a nice weekend, with my love, nia
Thanks Nia, so glad you liked them! :)
Yep -you’re right I do have a gingerbread recipe – everyone needs one. I must have made gingerbread more than any other baking item over the years. Never made it with date molasses though – thanks for the recipe
Sally, I’ve only discovered date molasses in the last couple of years, and have been using it constantly ever since. I love the flavour! The Lebanese eat it with tahini on bread…
As you can imagine, it’s available in abundance where I live!
I love a good gingerbread person, Celia! I baked them last Christmas for the first time in a decade or more… and dear they were delicious! I gave them away in individual packages as little gifts. Nice post, have a lovely weekend.
Lizzy, I’m sure yours were amazing! I think it would be a lovely gift to receive!
how wonderful, it is years since i made these.. i love the molasses in them! c
Celi, I’ve been using the date molasses in place of golden syrup ever since I found it – it makes a subtle difference, and it’s quite lovely! I’m sure you could make a whole farm’s worth of gingerbread animals!
what dear little gingerbread men you’ve made celia..they are so cute that i want to bite one..x
Thanks Jane, they were great fun to make!
very cute gingerbread men! love the hearts on the feet!
Thank you! I still had icing in the bag after faces and buttons, so I was trying to use it up! ;-)
Very sweet gingerbread men, Celia, and beautifully decorated, too. I haven’t made anything like this for ages.
Amanda, I must admit that I’m not a great rolling and cutting person, so I tend to do a few batches of something like this in a flurry and then not make it again for ages!
These are so cute!
My recipe uses molasses and honey- yours sounds good- I’ll try it next time.
(I just threw away my gingerbread house today. It is too hard to eat when it needs to stand up for competition!)
Heidi, molasses AND honey, that IS unusual! I’m going back to look at your recipe more carefully now…
Those are so perfect looking and so very cute. I love how you iced them – very individual looks you have given them too. Have a great weekend and may the rain stop! xx
Thanks Charlie! And I’ve just been outside, thank goodness the rain finally stopped!
You’re right, big and little, EVERYone loves gingerbread men… especially to dunk head first into a milky coffee… oh maybe that’s just me.
Hehe…I just had another friend say the same thing last week, Brydie. He said he always ate the head first, as it seemed the kind thing to do.. ;-)
Love a good gingerbread biscuit – love the way you have decorated your men Celia – very cute.
:-) Mandy
Thanks Mandy! They were fun to make!
So cute!! I like the one with the eyebrows :)
Thanks Claire, I was trying to use up all the icing! I wonder why I didn’t think to give them noses? :)
I always read this rhyme to my kindergarten students.. and I love gingerbread cookies.. you’ve made them so pretty!! You know I love those little hearts:)
Smidge, I was feeling like an old hippy, piping hearts on their legs.. ;-)
Hahaha, I like being an old hippy.. probably why it caught my attention!
They’re so pretty Celia – I love the ones with the little heart on their foot. I do love gingerbread, and ginger cake, and ginger chocolate – there’s a theme here ;-)
C, thank you! They were fun to make – Pete is finally happy with the flavour, he doesn’t like them when there’s too much cinnamon or cloves in the recipe, so it’s taken a bit of fiddling to get it right!
There’s nothing like the smell of gingerbread. It’s a rainy day here so cookies just my be on the to make list. :-)
Hugs, Maz
Maz, they really do smell amazing! I was astonished how strong the aroma was!
These gingerbread men are so totally perfect :D
Yum!!!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you! I’m glad you like them! :)
So fun to see these at this time of year!
Oh that’s right, we’re meant to make these at Chrissie! I tend to cook things at all sorts of odd times.. ;-)
Oh yes, date molasses – I like it. And I like your cheery little gingerbread men too.
Thanks Choc! I’m a little hooked on the date molasses.. :)