Gingerbread Men - cooking recipe

Ingredients

75 g soft brown sugar, sieved
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 tablespoon black treacle
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
1/2 orange, zest of, finely grated
1 tablespoon water
95 g butter
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
225 g plain flour

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/350\u00b0F/180\u00b0C.
You will need 2 lightly greased baking sheets.
In a large saucepan, put in the brown sugar, golden syrup, treacle, all the spices and orange rind with 1 tablespoon of water.
Bring them to boiling point, stirring all the time.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter cut into cubes, and the bicarbonate of soda.
Next stir in the flour gradually until you have a smooth manageable dough - add a little more flour, if you think it needs it.
Leave the dough covered, in a cool place to become firm, approximately 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and cut out the gingerbread men.
Arrange them on the lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the biscuits feel firm when lightly pressed with a fingertip.
Leave the biscuits to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Once cool, store in an airtight container.