finleys ginger bread cookies

Well I fully intended to post this recipe 3 days ago, but 'flu-like' symptoms turned into a full on vomit-fest, and we are slowly pulling ourselves out of the madness that is a household with a vomity child.

I know there are thousands of gingerbread recipies around the place, but I find this one the easiest for a grumpy, impatient 2 year old to help me with. The dough can get a bit dry and crumbly, but as long as your careful transfering the cut cookies over to the baking tray, the end cookies will still taste the same.

Ginger Bread Cookies

125g butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 cups flour

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 180deg.C. lightly grease 2 baking trays. Cream butter, sugar and until light and fluffy. add golden syrup and beat through then add egg yolk and beat well. sift the flour, ginger, mixed spice and baking soda together and add to the creamed mixture, stirring with a spoon. turn out onto a floured board (or if you're me, a bench) and knead lightly for 3 mins. roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters, or cut into pieces. carefullt lift onto baking trays and bake for 12 to 15 mins. Allow to cool on tray for a few mins before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

When completely cool, ice.

Icing:

1 egg white,

approx 4 drops fresh lemon juice

approx 1 1/2 cups icing sugar

place egg white into a mixing bowl and beat lightly with a fork. add lemon juice and beat again. gradually add icing sugar to egg mix, stirring well after each addition, until icing becoms thick enought to pipe. add food colour if desired (you may have to add a little more icing sugar after adding food colour. Place icing into a piping bag (Finley and I just use snap-lock backs ~ usually the ones recycled from the bulk bins ~ and snip the corner. much less messy for a 2 y.o to deal with) and pipe onto biscuit immediately.

Let icing set and enjoy!  Or send to someone who doesn't mind a bit of biscuit with their icing, if you get my drift...