Every year I make some gingerbread men for Christmas but I like to experiment with different recipes. This recipe is the classic version, the cookies ere very delicious and soft. I made the above gingerbread men using wholewheat flour.

You’ll need:

• 400g flour/wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp allspice (or 1 pinch of ground cloves &  1 pinch of nutmeg)
• 100g soft brown sugar (light)
• 2 Tbsp golden syrup
• 1 Tbsp treacle
• 1 egg
• 100g butter or dairy-free spread, melted

Preparation

1. Mix the flour, baking soda and spices. Mix the eggs with the melted butter, syrups and sugar, then pour it into the flour mixture.
2. Make a dough with your hand, then wrap it in Clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
4. Roll out the cold dough on lightly floured worksurface to 5 mm thick, and using gingerbread man cutters stamp out the shapes and decorate them (see Decoration Tips). Put the gingerbread men on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until light brown.
5. Transfer them to a rack to cool.

Decoration Tips

• Using a tooth pick, draw eyes, mouth and buttons before baking
• Add raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips or nuts for the eyes, mouth and buttons before baking
• After baking, using an icing or chocolate pen, draw the eyes, mouth and buttons