GINGERBREAD HEARTS

 I love gingerbread but most people only eat it at Christmas, so I thought instead of making the stereotypical gingerbread men I would make some gingerbread hearts perfect for all seasons. Gingerbread is one of those bakes that is quick and they last for ever because the taste is so strong that you don't need loads to provide you with that kick. 

I will always remember my mum picking me up from school and taking me and my brother to out local bakery, I would always choose a gingerbread man and my brother would go for one of those marshmallow cones. The smell of a bakery is one of my favorite smells I think it was one of the things that made me want to bake professionally and of course the taste.

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS
350g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
4tbsp golden syrup
100g unsalted butter
150g dark muscovado sugar
1egg
icing sugar, currants etc to decorate

METHOD 

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 (190C/375F),  make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature.

 2. At the moment your golden syrup with be to thick to mix together so place it in a saucepan on a low heat and stir until it becomes a runny liquid.

 3. Like this. Place in your fridge to cool.

 4. Sift together your flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and mixed spice into a bowl and mix together.

 5. Place in your butter and using your fingers make bread crumbs.

 6. It should look something like this.

 7. Now add your sugar, the problem with dark muscovado is that it's very soft which means it sticks together so you may have to use your fingers to mix it up.

 8. Make sure it is well mixed.

 9. When your syrup has cooled add your egg and give it a whisk.

 10. Make sure it is well mixed. Place into your flour mixture and mix together to form a dough, add more flour if it is to runny and a little milk if to dry.

 11. Once made into a ball use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 5mm thick, and use what ever cutter you have available, I used a heart. If you want to make gingerbread men then place your raisins  on before you bake them.

 12. Place far apart as they will puff out. Place on your middle shelf an bake for 10 minutes until nice and brown, when they cool they will harden so don't worry if they look under done.

13. Once cooked remove and cool, (because gingerbread when cooked goes out of shape when my gingerbread has just been removed I usually cut them out again and save the outside pieces to nibble on. See how neat they are. ^ I then decided to mix some icing sugar and water together to form a white paste, placed in a piping bag and decorated my hearts, but you can do whatever you want. 

I hope you enjoy my recipe and let me know what you think.:)