Gingerbread men

I've always wanted to bake gingerbread men because
1) I like the smell and taste of ginger
2) It's christmas
3) I have the gingerbread men mould and
4) I wanted to decorate and make little presents to give away

So...I went to get the main ingredient, well not really but I needed the ground ginger I suppose....and colouring and little m & ms to decorate the little men!

I searched for recipes and there were quite a few but I stuck to the one from taste.com

Plain cookies needing to be dressed:

Colourings and m & m to decorate, you could also use other fun stuff to decorate your men too like raisins, cherries and the list goes on

Happy family:

Wrapping them in cellophane paper and tied it with a christmas ribbon ready to be given away:

Reciepe from taste.com.au

Preparation Time - 15 minutes
Cooking Time - 10 minutes
Makes 20

Ingredients

* Melted butter, to grease
* 125g butter, at room temperature
* 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
* 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
* 1 egg, separated
* 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
* 1 tbs ground ginger
* 1 tsp mixed spice
* 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
* Plain flour, to dust
* 150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
* 8-10 drops red liquid food colouring
* 8-10 drops green liquid food colouring
* Smarties, to decorate

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease.

2.Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

3.Meanwhile, place egg white in a clean, dry bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Divide icing among 3 bowls. Cover 1 bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Add red colouring to 1 bowl and stir until combined. Add green colouring to remaining bowl and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

4.Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use a 9cm gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes. Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.

5.Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.

6.Place prepared icings in small plastic bags. Cut a small hole in a corner of each bag. Pipe icing over gingerbread men to decorate. Finish with Smarties.

As I was decorating the gingerbread men, I felt like a little child having fun with colours, piping, and thinking of ways to decorate the cookie. It felt so liberating to be able to play with the gingerbread men.

Wrapping the men up is fun too, looks like the ones sold in stores! I can't wait to give them away!

Merry Christmas everyone!