It’s Christmas time, time to share our… food recipes! I’ve always wanted to make Gingerbread People (well, Gingerbread Shapes really) but haven’t had the energy for it in recent years. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a holiday tradition that I had grown up with, and I always felt like I missed out. Well not anymore!
Although, seeing the evidence of my adult icing skills, I can’t imagine the mess that would’ve ensued if I had tried cookie decorating as a kid. Probably like the kitchen threw up icing sugar!
Needless to say, food decorating is clearly not one of my natural talents. I’m sure your decorating skills will be much better than mine!
This holiday season, I got all my ducks in a row well in advance so that I could relax in the weeks and days leading up to Christmas and have fun in the kitchen. After all, to me baking and eating delicious food and sharing it with loved ones is what this time of year is all about. I try to be pretty healthy and sensible throughout the year, but to me Christmas is like one month-long cheat day. Chocolate? Bring it on! Apple pie? That too! Gingerbread People? I’ve got room! Mmmm…
Gingerbread People
Ingredients
- 50 grams chickpea flour can also use soy or pea flour
- 50 grams tapioca starch
- 100 grams brown rice flour
- 100 grams buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 3 tsp powdered ginger
- 80 grams dairy-free margarine
- 2 tbsp treacle
- 60 grams raw, brown or low GI sugar
- 3 tbsp plant-based milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 160ºC/320ºF, and prepare two large non-stick oven trays.
- In a large bowl, sieve each of the flours and the cinnamon, salt and powdered ginger and mix together until well combined.
- Either in a saucepan, or in a microwave jug, combine the margarine, treacle and sugar and warm just enough until the margarine melts. Then stir together until the sugar dissolves.
- Add to wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and bring together. Add in the 3 tbsp of milk – or just enough until you get a firm dough.
- Roll out the dough onto a floured surface until about ½ an inch thick (I usually use rice flour for this). Use your shape cutters to cut out as many shapes or people as you need.
- Lay your people and shapes onto the baking trays and bake in the oven for about 10 – 15 minutes. Just until lightly browned in colour.
- Once out of the oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before moving the cookies onto a wire rack to fully cool and set.
- Time to decorate. Have fun and unleash the inner child!