Gingerbread Shapes and a touch of Christmas

Gingerbread Shapes

125g butter

½ cup lightly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup golden syrup

1 egg

2 cups plain flour

1/3 cup self-raising flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

Icing

1 egg white

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup pure icing sugar

Food colourings

Gingerbread

1.      Beat butter, sugar and golden syrup until light and creamy. Add egg and beat well.

2.      Add flours, spices & bi-carb soda – recipe says to use a knife to just mix – I use the beaters and mix.

3.      Knead gently (reportedly if you knead too much it becomes tough).

4.      Cover a baking tray with baking paper (I use two trays or three for a double mix).

5.      Roll out until 5mm thick. Place on baking trays and refrigerate for 15min.

6.      Cut out shapes & place onto lined baking trays – the dough is easier to handle when jus t out of the fridge, if it is a hot day you might want to chill again before moving shapes.

7.      Bake at 180°C for 10 min or until just colouring.

8.      Cool on trays – or as I do, transfer to cooling rack when solid/cool enough to move because you need the tray for the next batch.

Icing

1.      Beat egg white until soft peaks form

2.      Add lemon juice & icing sugar gradually.

3.      Transfer to small bowls to colour if using more than one colour.

4.      Use icing bags to decorate.

A huge thanks goes out to my Aunt for this recipe that occupied part of my morning. Between a crazy quick race to the shops for something they still didn't have and a snooze, oh and work. I can testify to their tastiness and I am sure my work mate would have too if the gingerbread stars had made it off the kitchen bench and into the car, as intended.

I can hardly believe it is the 24th of December already. Tomorrow it is Christmas day!

My Christmas Eve is calling on an old family carol watching tradition with lights twinkling in the house. I am missing having the family around and singing along but I will sing along all the same as I am sure they are. See we are still singing together. 

What is your favourite Christmas carol or song? I do love 'So this is Christmas' but then I also love many of the more traditional carols like 'Silent Night', 'Angels we have Heard on High', 'Oh Holy Night' and the list could go on and on. I also happily get on board with the Aussie version of well known Christmas songs and carols. So I am going to go back to watching carols with a festive beverage while nibbling on some tasty stars and maybe other goodies I have stashed after cooking.

 

What do you do on Christmas Eve? What are you must do traditions?

 

Also, just in case I don't get to it tomorrow, many good wishes for Christmas. May your day be filled with love, hope, joy, peace and may this carry though into the new year.

Merry Christmas!