Run, run, fast as you can,
You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!
~ The Gingerbread Man, a fairy tale
Gingerbread is a popular Christmas treat all over the world, in many different forms. Gingerbread first appeared in central Europe in the Middle Ages, made from sugars and spices that had been brought back from the Middle East by soldiers returning from the Crusades. In England, gingerbread only meant “preserved ginger,” referring to the preservative effect of ginger on breads, cakes, and other pastries. It wasn’t until the 15th century that gingerbread referred specifically to the sweet cake made with treacle and ginger. And it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that the treat became associated primarily with Christmas.
This very well-behaved dough can put up with quite a bit of punishment and is therefore ideal for children to play around with.
Kids will love making, decorating and eating these gingerbread men biscuits – but let’s face it, more the eating! They can either be given as gifts or used to decorate the tree as I have done this year. Make things more fun with a variety of cutters.
You can buy proper cutters for making ‘men’ but in fact, you (or your children) can pick any shaped cutter you like.
Credit: I can’t take credit for converting this recipe. Why re-invent the wheel. This recipe copied from the website Thermobliss, aptly named the Best Thermomix Gingerbread recipe. I agree, it is.
