Gingerbread People and Gifting Jar

What a fabulous gift idea! The layered ingredients look great presented in a glass jar. All the fiddly measuring has been done, just add the wet ingredients. This can work for any recipe with predominantly dry ingredients, just add the instructions on a cute gift tag. This recipe is reprinted with permission from our friends at Chelsea. On their website, you’ll find a fabulous free download for all sorts of different gifting tags. (click here for the download of tags - which you can print for free)

At Kiwicakes we have hundreds of cookie cutters with a special category just for gingerbread people

Ingredients

Dry

2 ½ cups plain flour

½ cup Chelsea soft brown sugar

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking soda

Wet

125g softened butter

½ cup Chelsea treacle or Chelsea golden syrup

1 egg yolk

Method

Layer all the dry ingredients in a 500ml decorative glass jar. Tie a gingerbread cookie cutter to the jar with a special note and instruction tag.

Attach these instructions:

Simply beat 125g soft butter with ½ cup treacle or golden syrup and 1 egg yolk until creamy and smooth then add the contents of the jar and mix until a sot dough forms. Knead into a ball, wrap and chill for 20 minutes. 

Pre-heat oven to 170°C and line two baking trays with cooking paper. Roll out gingerbread dough to about 3mm (if its sticky roll between two sheets of baking paper or cling film) and use the cookie cutter to make little people shapes. 

Transfer to baking trays and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden and set. Ice and decorate when cold.

* You can decorate your gingerbread people with smarties or baking chocolate drops and mini baking marshmallows before cooking or add afterwards with a drizzle of icing.

* For simple royal icing beat 1 egg white until soft peaks gradually add approx 1 cup icing sugar and a few drops of lemon juice or food colouring until icing is piping consistency. Transfer to a piping bag or use a snaplock bag and snip the corner off!