Gingerbread dough is always lots of fun – whether you want to make biscuits, men or even a Gingerbread house then a good dough recipe is the place to start. The resting of the dough and chilling is an important step for the very best in gingery spiced flavoured biscuits so try not to miss it out if you can.
Ingredients:
75g soft brown sugar
40g golden syrup
20g black treacle
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
110g butter
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g plain flour
In a pan place the sugar, butter, syrup, treacle and spices. Heat them over a gentle heat whilst stirring until the butter melts and it’s mixed together nicely.
Take it off the heat and add in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and stir it up well into a soft dough.
Place the whole lot in a plastic bag, let it cool to room temperature and then bob it in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.
When you’re ready to use it, take it out of the fridge, it will be hard and crumbly. Working with a portion at a time knead it with your hands on the worksurface until it is smooth and pliable.
Roll it out on a lightly floured worksurface, or between 2 sheets of baking paper and cut out your biscuits.
Preheat the oven to 170c (fan)/190c/Gas Mark 5.
Place the biscuits on a well greased or lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 8 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool on the tray for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire
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I love making gingerbread and this looks great – I’m looking forward to seeing what you make out of it!
Fantastic! I would love to make these with my step son at the weekend. Thanks.
Will definitely try this one out as it does not call for an Egg which my kid is allergic with. Thank you!
Mmmm gingerbread men!! Great for young and old!!
xx
Fantastic, I can’t wait to make these with my little girl as it will be the first time we wil have made gingerbread men! Thanks ; 0)
Proper love ginger bread! Well christmassy!
i’m having a bash at my first gingerbrread house with my girls this year,,,,but may have to buy one from the shop as a plan b!
Love gingerbread, I made a gingerbread house for my best friends birthday last yr and it was a challenge! Might attempt the sleighs this yr
Was planning a gingerbread house this year so here goes!
I love making gingerbread with my kids who are going to help me make another gingerbread house
, maybe we are going to get some more great ideas from you this X-mas
Love doing gingerbread. The girls and I did a house last year and although pretty wonky, with plenty of icing sugar “snow” over the top it looked really christmassy
I love gingerbread!!
I cheat and buy a pack from the supermarket to build and decorate a house, but I’m gonna give this a go,,,
That’s this afternoon’s activity sorted.
Hi Ruth – could you make this dough 2-3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge until needed? Thanks!
Yes! It gets better if allowed to rest in the fridge – the flavours just get better x
Great, thanks! Love recipes that cater for busy schedules and doing things in ‘parts’. Will mix up tonight to bake Friday evening.
This recipe will become one of my staples at Christmas time! I made the recipe x 4, and had enough dough for 3 mini gingerbread houses plus a fair few gingerbread-people cookies. Was a bonus that no egg in the dough, as it meant the kids could sneak a taste. Thanks!
Brings back happy memories!
You make it look easy! My gingerbread is generally rock hard!!
This is really odd: I open the browser to google the recipe for gingerbread, but my homepage is webmail, and on the top of it – mail about this post!!
Ashamed to say I have never made gingerbread but would love to make some little men to hang on the tree this year!
cute
Gingerbread cake is the best in the world!
Another task, my you are keeping me busy!
I love your fabulous step by step photos and instructions. My girls aged 8 & 10 will be having some fun this weekend making some great gingerbread creations – thanks to your inspiration !!
P.s – the chocolate cake recipe in your book is the best ever !! x
Wow… I love to eat Gingerbread cookies. This recipe is great & very creative design….Marvelous …
Oh if only mine would look that good! Amazing work Ruth! X
I’m planning to make a gingerbread house for my grandsons at Christmas, I will be using your recipe it sounds fab!
Love gingerbread!
I would love to make a successful gingerbread house. We’ve bought numerous kits over the years, and they keep collapsing! Maybe if I try to make my own it will be more successful. Can’t make gingerbread men – can’t bear to bit their heads off!
Santa sleigh’s a great idea. How long would the gingerbread keep unwrapped? I love the idea of putting gingerbread on the tree but wondered how long before they become too soft to eat.
Unwrapped and open to the air the gingerbread will dry out fairly quickly rather than going soft, it doesn’t stop my boys eating them even after they’ve been on the tree for a fortnight though!!!
that sleigh is incredible!
We have templates for a house and train this year, the boys can,t wait to decorate them.
I’ve never thought of using ground cloves when making gingerbread dough, It’s sounds extra fragrant and yummy – I shall be giving this a go!!!
Mmm gingerbread…
I love the Cornish ware. They would look lovely on my work top too!
I love the look of the sleighs… Is it really as easy as you make it look?
Will need to try these out with my two boys, although they will probably do star wars characters
Ginger, yum one of my favourite Xmas flavours
These look brilliant, and they don’t spread when cooked as well – perfect!
Looks scrummy and the santas sleigh looks amazing. You are a very talented lady!!
I love this idea. I have tried making gingerbread men before, but they spread and looked like blobs. I never knew you had to chill the dough first. I will be using this recipe at the weekend. Clever you !
Looks far too good to eat – these will look great hanging from my tree, are there any child proof bags available to put them in?
You’ll need to hide them round the back on the highest branches!! x
Yummy. Can’t wait to try it out x
I will definitely be trying this recipe!
These are simply too cute andi bet they taste delicious too!
What a brill idea to do 1 x giant gingerbread (wo)man! A fab idea for pressies! What would we do without your fab inventive brain, Ruth! Stonkin’ ideas!
I’ve been looking for a ‘go to’ gingerbread recipe…thank you.
Lovely recipe, I’ll be trying this out for sure!
How long will the gingerbread keep? If it not eaten straight away !!
If you keep the baked pieces in an airtight container they will last upto a month. Once you’ve made them up as long as they are wrapped up and not open to the air they’ll last 2 weeks. They will of course last much longer than that but they would taste stale x
Such a delicious smell baking gingerbread. Be a very warming winter treat with some hot chocolate.
I think that all these recipes etc look delicious x
can’t wait to try this recipe – I am still looking for a recipe for sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies that is easy to work with and come out. With the success of your other recipes that I’ve made, I’m hoping this one works for me.
I’ve just made my gingerbread house and snowmen so this will look fantastic along side my gingerbread village x love it xxx
Yummy !!! will definatly try this for christmas !!!
This looks a far better recipe than the one i’ve been using for years!! i will definitely be trying it for our annual gingerbread house monstrosity!!! which might have a sleigh outside this year….!!!!! love it!
What a simple recipe.. will definately be doing this with the kids
)
Thank you for this recipe – I ruined our gingerbread house last year by guessing! It was revolting :-/
A great simple recipe. Something my kids will love.
Def making gingerbread this week
I am determined to make some gingerbread this year! xx
Might have to give this a go sometime!
christmas favourite for me yummy
Exciting!
Me a the kids love to make a house and decorate each year but I’ve yet to find 1 I like to eat. Will give this recipe a try. Got my stencil ready for the house
BEst ginger bread is from Grasmere
I have some ‘ninja bread’cutters, such fun!
Love the taste of this gingerbread
I LOVE GINGERBREAD!
Excellent gingerbread recipe, some just spread hopelessly but this is fab. Thanks Ruth.
love gingerbread
Lovely simple to follow recipe
A staple in my house.Lovely recipe x
the kids LOVE gingerbread – I’ll have to try this!
Ooh I’ve made some lovely gingerbread – I’m very excited!
Thanks Ruth, another amazing recipe!
Will it be ok if left overnight? I can make before bed & then roll out with my daughter the next day?
Yes perfect x
Yes, sounds like a great plan x
Your pics make it so easy to follow
thanks for the recipe.
Great….I will be busy!
Yummy!
It’s just not Christmas without gingerbread
I love ginger so much!
yum!!
Think I’ve been entering my comments in the wrong place
What a fantastic sleigh.
Never made ginger bread before, looking forward to it!
yummy!
I’ve never found a good gingerbread recipe up until now! Thank you for sharing yours
This looks so easy. Will definitely give it a go.
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