Festive Recipe - The Easiest Gingerbread Cookies

This recipe is super simple and so much fun to make. Mini chefs will love to get involved, particularly with the decorating part. Gingerbread not only tastes great but it keeps well for 2-3 weeks if stored in an airtight container. A wonderful, rainy day recipe to get you in the mood for Christmas, plus what’s better than the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven on a cold winter's day? These are perfect for hanging on your tree as an edible decorative treat, wrapping up as sweet gifts or simply gobbling up with a mug of hot chocolate, fresh and warm from the oven. Yum. 

Ok, here goes. You will need:

Props

Apron (optional)

Large baking tray

Rolling pin

Cookie cutters 

Baking paper/parchment

Gift bags (optional)

Ribbon or twine (optional)

Ingredients

100g butter

225g plain flour

100g muscovado sugar

3 tbsp golden syrup

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 to 2 tsp of cinnamon 

For the Decoration

50g icing sugar

Red and green natural food colouring 

Christmas themed sprinkles

Edible silver balls

How to Make 

1. Aprons at the ready. Why not make it extra fun with mini and me matching aprons and pop on some festive tunes too. 
2. Measure out the butter sugar and syrup, pop them all in a saucepan and gently heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Do not allow this to boil. Set aside to cool.
3. In a bowl mix together the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon and flour. Pour in the syrup mixture and stir well to combine. You should have a lovely soft dough. 
4. Cut out two large rectangular pieces of baking paper. Place the dough on top of one of the sheets and roll the dough out onto it to approx. ½ cm thick. Place the other piece of parchment on top and chill in the fridge for about an hour. 
5. Heat the oven to approx. 190C/gas mark 5 and remove the dough from the fridge. Use your chosen cookie cutters to cut out your cookies. Tip: if you’re planning on making decorations, don’t forget to make a small hole at the top of each cookie, leaving enough space around each hole.
6. Place your cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment and bake in the oven for approx. 10-12 minutes. Gingerbread cooks fast and can burn easily so keep a close eye on it. Once cooked, take them out and leave to cool completely on the baking sheet. 
7. Now for the best part! Get ready to decorate to your heart's content. Mix up some icing sugar with approx. 1-2 tbsp of water until you get a thick but still runny consistency. Tip: separate the icing mixture across 3 different bowls and use a couple of drops of red and green food colouring to create a festive colour combo.  
8. There are no rules here, just go for it. Pop the icing in a piping bag to create outlines, dots and swirls. Or simply drizzle over with a spoon for a more rustic look. 
9. For a final flourish, sprinkle with edible sprinkles or silver balls. For decorations, thread and tie with twine or ribbon and secure with a knot.  If you’re giving them as a gift, pop them in cellophane bags and tie with pretty seasonal ribbon and perhaps add a homemade label too. Tip: For a planet friendly option, check out these biodegradable cellophane gift bags.

If your mini bakers loved getting involved with that, then why not introduce them to the magic of play with our amazing collection of traditional wooden play kitchens, cooking themed toys and play food accessories. All intentionally made using sustainable, repurposed wood and ethical manufacturing practices, for good old fashioned, plastic free fun. 

Take a look at the eye poppingly gorgeous Oxford toy kitchen. Full of traditional charm, this showstopper is sure to spark imaginative role play adventures and makes an ideal big ticket gift for The Big Day, ready to be unwrapped on Christmas morning. 

A lovely gift to add to over time, why not accessorize with these pots and pans or mix up the perfect bake with this sweet food mixer set. 

For endless play possibilities be sure to add some yummy pretend food into the mix. Little creatives will adore celebrating in style with this exquisite birthday cake, a tempting treat to offer up to mini guests and soft toy friends. Start the day right with the tasty looking toaster breakfast  set or serve up a slice of fun with the wooden toy pizza, complete with removable toppings and handy pizza cutter. 

Our ever popular food crates provide a great opportunity to teach little ones all about the different food groups and encourage healthy eating. From fruit and veggies to dairy, meat and fish, they are sure to learn their 5 a day in a fun and interactive way. 

For even more ideas, you can shop our full range of gorgeous timeless wooden treasures online. If you need further inspiration, why not get in touch with us and we’ll happily help you on your quest. Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram too at @letoyvantoys.

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