spiced biscuits perfect for any biscuit cutter and fun to decorate

My kids love helping to make biscuits: making dough in the Thermomix, licking the spatula, rolling out the dough, pressing out the biscuit shapes and eating warm biscuits fresh from the oven.

I have been using this gingerbread biscuit recipe for years. They’re tasty left as they are however you can use your imagination and get decorating. I’ve decorated with a simple smiley face and have also added some green and red buttons for a Christmas theme. This year for Halloween I decided to make vampire gingerbread men with red M&Ms buttons and white fangs. Thanks to pintrest for this idea!

ingredients

• 230g butter
• 200g sugar
• 1 egg
• 80g golden syrup
• 400g flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

directions

1. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg and beat into mixture.
3. Add golden syrup and mix until combined.
4. Add all other ingredients to mixture and continue to mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients.
5. Divide the mixture into two equal parts, wrap in glad wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Try not to cut corners – this dough needs to be cold to work well. If you are in a rush an hour in the freezer can do the trick. Between rolling out the dough store the divided batches in the fridge to keep cool.
6. Preheat oven to 180c/355f.
7. Roll the dough to approximately 2mm thick, use flour on your rolling pin and on the rolling surface. Cut the dough into required shapes.
8. Bake your gingerbread biscuits for 15 minutes.

thermomix directions

1. Add butter and sugar to TM bowl and mix for 30 seconds on speed 5.
2. Add egg and mix for 10 seconds on speed 5.
3. Add golden syrup and mix for 15 seconds on speed 5.
4. Add all other ingredients and mix for 15 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 30 seconds on speed 5.
5. Divide the mixture into two equal parts, wrap in glad wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Try not to cut corners – this dough needs to be cold to work well. If you are in a rush an hour in the freezer can do the trick. Between rolling out the dough store the divided batches in the fridge to keep it cool.
6. Preheat oven to 180c/355f.
7. Roll the dough to approximately 2mm thick, use flour on your rolling pin and on the rolling surface. Cut the dough into required shapes.
8. Bake your gingerbread biscuits for 15 minutes.

decorations

While you could make your own icing for decorations I purchase Dr. Oetker’s Designer Icing to speed things up a bit. They come in a squeezy pouch with different attachments which saves time and cleanup. To make the vampires I purchased the chocolate and white pouches and used red M&Ms for buttons.

If I am making gingerbread men (or ladies) I purchase a South African gummy drop called Jelly Tots. They are really the perfect size (approx. 1cm in diameter) and I haven’t found a better alternative. Most supermarkets stock these in the International section but they can also be purchased from South African speciality stores.

For Christmas I purchase the red and green M&Ms.

For other spooky biscuits have a look at our Halloween spider biscuits – inspired by Martha Stewarts thumbprint biscuits with a Reese’s peanut butter cup decorated to look like a spider.