Gingerbread
- 300g plain flour
- 1-teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½-teaspoon cinnamon
- ½-teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 125g unsalted butter
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 and line two baking sheets with baking paper
- In a large bowl, sieve the flour, spices, and bicarbonate of soda
- Melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar until dissolved, add to the dry ingredients and stid until forms a still dough. Leave to rest in the fridge for an hour
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough until 5mm thick, using a cutter, cut shapes as desired and transfer on to lined baking trays
- Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown and delicious
- Leave to cool on a wire rack and decorate with icing pens and edible glitter and sweets
Mincemeat
- 175g currants
- 175g raisins
- 175g sultanas
- 175g dried cranberries
- 100g mixed peal
- 1 apples cored and grated
- 125g butter
- 1/2 table spoons grated ginger
- 50g Almonds chopped
- 250g muscovado sugar
- 1/2 table spoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 table spoons mixed spice
- Juice and zest of 1 lemons and 1 oranges
- 200mls brandy or rum
Method
- Put all the ingredients into a large pot except the alcohol and simmer for 10 minutes
- Allow to cool and add the Alcohol
- Spoon the mincemeat into sterilised jars and keep in a cool dark place until ready to use
- I like to use sweet pastry to line the tart shells but shop bought shortcrust works well too
