Christmas Elves Gingerbread Cookies

You can’t get much more Christmassy than the smell of warm homemade gingerbread wafting around your kitchen, children fighting over who’s going to lick the bowl, and Christmas music ON. I’ve found the most delicious Christmas Elves gingerbread recipe. It works brilliantly if they’re made using the gluten free option too (scroll down!).  They’re incredibly mooreish.  The recipe is by Lauren from ‘Cooking For Kenza’ and these cookies are completely delicious with or without icing.  I was expecting them to be the hard crunchy sort, but actually they’re delicious Christmassy pillows of gingerbread goodness.

What You Need:

350g self-raising free flour (plus extra for dusting the work top)
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g butter
175g dark soft brown sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
1 egg
icing sugar, water and decorations

What You Do:

In a food processor…

1. 1. Combine the flours, spices and bicarbonate of soda. Whizz the ingredients to mix them thoroughly. Add the butter and process again till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and process again.
   2. Add the golden syrup and egg and process until the mixture starts to come together. Tip out onto a floured surface and form the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
   3. Take out the fridge and roll to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a gingerbread man cutter (or any cutter you like) and cut out as many shapes as you can, re-rolling the left overs to use it all up.
   4. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Line a baking sheet with non stick baking parchment and bake the cookies for approx 9-12 minutes until nicely browned but not burnt. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
   5. While the biscuits are cooling, mix some icing sugar with enough water to make a fairly stiff icing, adding food colouring if you wish. You can decorate them with decorate them with icing and / or gluten free sweets OR enjoy them just as they are.

GLUTEN FREE RECIPE

What You Need:

350g self-raising gluten free flour (plus extra for dusting the work top)
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g butter (or dairy free butter if you need to).
175g dark soft brown sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
1 egg
icing sugar, water and decorations

What You Do:

In a food processor…

1. 1. Combine the flours, xanthan gum, spices and bicarbonate of soda. Whizz the ingredients to mix them thoroughly. Add the butter and process again till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and process again.
   2. Add the golden syrup and egg and process until the mixture starts to come together. Tip out onto a (rice) floured surface and form the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
   3. Take out the fridge and roll to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a gingerbread man cutter (or any cutter you like) and cut out as many shapes as you can, re-rolling the left overs to use it all up.
   4. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Line a baking sheet with non stick baking parchment and bake the cookies for approx 9-12 minutes until nicely browned but not burnt. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
   5. While the biscuits are cooling, mix some icing sugar with enough water to make a fairly stiff icing, adding food colouring if you wish. You can decorate them with decorate them with icing and / or gluten free sweets OR enjoy them just as they are.

   They won’t last long …!

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