Pre-Writers Club: Christmas Eve Baking

One of our Christmas traditions is to bake gingerbread biscuits on Christmas Eve. They taste so delicious eaten warm. We make sure to save a couple and then leave them out for Father Christmas too!

Ingredients:

• 6oz plain flour

• 1 1/2 oz butter ( leave out so it is soft)

• 2oz brown sugar

• 3 1/2 oz/half cup golden syrup

• 1 tsp ginger

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.

What to do:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together.

2. Add the golden syrup then sift in the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda.

3. Knead with your hands until it forms a dough.

4. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.

5. Put some flour on your work surface and roll the dough out. Cut shapes using a cookie cutter.

6. Cook for 8-10 minutes.

7. Dust with icing sugar. You can eat them warm or let them cool.

Skills:

Hand and Finger Strength – Kneading the gingerbread dough and rolling it out with the rolling pin strengthens the hands, fingers and wrist which helps to develop the endurance needed to write a full page.