Christmas is drawing ever closer. In our house the tree is already decorated and that means it’s time to get into the spirit with some Christmas snacks. Gingerbread is a hit and feels a bit special for Christmas. Plus while you’re cooking it, it makes the house smell amazing—sweet and spicy at the same time.

Gingerbread is so easy to make and has a really lovely flavour—there’s something warm and homely about it. I’ve been making gingerbread cookies since I was a teenager and still love to serve them around Christmas. Once upon I time I would always decorate the gingerbread with icing, and if you have kids, they get hours of enjoyment it—decorating gingerbread Christmas trees, snowmen, stars and people with coloured icing and showing off their creations.

These days I prefer the plain gingerbread. Instead of all that sweet icing, I add a spicy flavour to mixture with extra cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves…surely the essence of Christmas.

You’ll need:

125g softened unsalted butter
⅓ cup soft brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups plain flour
¼ cup self-raising flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp bicarbonate soda

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a knife until the mixture just combines. Mix with your hands till the dough comes together. Place on a floured surface and knead for 1–2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Refrigerate for 15 minutes so the dough firms up. Place the flattened dough on the bench and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place the shapes on lined baking trays and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Take the trays out of the oven, allowing the gingerbread to cool completely on the trays before trying to move them.

Icing (optional)

1 egg white
½ tsp lemon juice
1¼ cups icing sugar
Food colouring

Beat the egg white until it’s foamy then gradually add the lemon juice and icing sugar. Beat until thick and creamy. Divide the icing mixture between a number of small bowls (depending on how many colours you want to use) and use your choice of food colourings to tint the mixture. Spoon the mixture into piping bags and decorate the gingerbread. For a more traditional look, you can use plain white icing for your decorative flourishes.