Monday, November 2, 2009

Gingerbread People


Recipe from my friend clever Jenine. Extra yummy gingerbread!

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup golden syrup
90g butter
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
500g plain flour
pinch of salt 2 eggs beaten

Combine the sugar, golden syrup, butter spices and fresh ginger in a heavy based pan over low eat, and let melt, stirring. Remove from the heat for 2 minutes, and then stir in the bicarbonate of soda until light and fluffy.

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, add eggs and gradually add the syrup, stirring until all the flour is incorporated and you have dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least one hour

Heat the oven to 180C and roll out the dough thinly on a floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the trays. Cool on a wire rack.


Jenine usually makes large gingerbread people, makes them thick(ish) and decorated them with melted chocolates. She would often triple the mix. I made them for my son to take to kinder when my husband went with him to carve a pumpkin for Halloween (its one of hubby's very mild super powers), so I decorated them with icing to look like mummies. I made them smaller and rolled them thinner so I ended up with hundreds of them! The rest will be turned into superheroes for Son #3's birthday party (photo above)

Black Devil Chocolate Cake

An old family favourite, great for birthdays. Easy too, one bowl and 1 cup!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups SR flour
1 1/3 cups Sugar
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1/2 cup Cocoa
125 g butter
Vanilla
3/4 cup water
2 eggs

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl, add softened butter, vanilla and half the water. Beat one minute on a slow speed. Add remaining water and eggs. Beat well, approximately another 3 minutes. Bake at 150C for 50 - 60 minutes.