Australian Gingerbread

It's that time of year again, but rather than decorate my house in cheap tinsel (not that I have anything against cheap tinsel, I just haven't got around to it yet) I decided to make something I hadn't made in a long, LONG time: gingerbread.

I love the IDEA of gingerbread, I mean, how can you go wrong with brown sugar, spice and golden syrup as the star ingredients?  But when I bite into it ... I dunno.  I'm often hit with uber-ginger then get that bitter taste of all the mixed spice, and the texture also seems to miss the mark, all too often.  I like a subtle, cinnamon-y, slightly chewy with just a hint of crunch texture at the end.  Too particular?  Maybe.

Anyhoo.  I adapted this very easy recipe from Taste (check here for the original recipe if you're into more traditional flavoured gingerbread), which hit the spot.  I even gave the men a miss and made it all about the ladies, cutting out love-hearts and decorating them into bikini tops and bottoms.  They were a bit of a hit.

Ingredients:

- 125g butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup golden syrup
- 1 egg, separated
- 2 & 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp bi carb soda
- 1 cup icing sugar (sifted)
- few drops green food dye
- few drops red food dye

How to:

Heat oven to 180 degrees C.  Beat the butter and sugar until pale, add the golden syrup, egg yolk, then gradually sift in the flour, bi carb and spices, and mix until combined.

Dust a clean bench with flour and knead together, pressing down to form a rough 'disc' shape.  Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

Roll out between two sheets of baking paper, until about 3mm thick.  Cut as many shapes as you can, then re-roll and cut more.

Eat remaining raw dough (it's completely delicious and more-ish) with a strong coffee.  Okay you don't have to do that last part. But. Trust. Me. It's. That. Good.

Put onto a non stick (or paper lined) baking sheet and bake approx 20 mins until it starts to brown slightly.  Basically, the browner it is, the crunchier it will be.

Meanwhile make the icing, beat egg white until soft peaks form, then mix in the icing sugar.  Separate into two bowls and add a colour to each, mixing to combine.

Wait until the boobs/bums are cooled completely, then pipe the icing using either a piping bag and small round tip, or alternatively an old (clean) sauce bottle will also do the trick (and is easier for young kids who want to "help").