Festive Ginger Biscuits Food

FESTIVE GINGER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Warm the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan until the butter melts. Bubble for 2 mins to dissolve the sugar, stirring frequently to prevent it burning. Sieve the flour, bicarb and spices into a bowl, add the sugar and butter mix, and beat with a wooden spoon. Crack in the egg, and beat again until you get a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 1½-2 hrs, or until it firms up.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Roll out the cooled dough on a lightly floured work surface to about 5mm thick and stamp out holly and star shapes (using 5cm cutters), rerolling any off-cuts. Bake in four batches for 6-7 mins, then leave to cool on the trays. If you don't want to make them all now, freeze or chill up to three-quarters of the dough for another time. Dust with gold shimmer and gold leaf, if you like, and use to decorate our white forest Christmas tree traybake. Will keep for three weeks in an airtight container.

GINGER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line two large baking trays with baking parchment. In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter, sugar, fresh ginger and golden syrup and leave to cool.
• Mix the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Gradually stir in the cooled sugar mixture and the egg yolk and knead briefly to make a dough.
• Roll the dough into 20g balls and put on the prepared baking trays with 3cm between each to allow for spreading. Bake for 8-10 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for a min, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

BLUEBERRY-GINGER SLAB BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 13x9" baking pan or dish with nonstick spray. Whisk baking powder, salt, ground ginger, 4½ cups (563 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (45 g) oats, and ¼ cup (50 g) sugar in a large bowl to combine. Grate butter into dry ingredients on the large holes of a box grater, then lightly toss to coat. Add lemon zest and toss again. Freeze 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla in a medium bowl to combine. Add all but 1 Tbsp. egg mixture to flour mixture and mix with a fork just until combined. Set remaining egg mixture aside for brushing over biscuits. Knead mixture in bowl with your hands until it roughly comes together.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat together. Dusting with flour as needed, gently roll out to a 16x12" rectangle.
• Stir jam and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Spread over half of dough, staying just shy of edges. Scatter berries and candied ginger over. Fold side of dough without toppings up and over filling and gently press to seal. Using a bench scraper or a knife, cut biscuits into 12 portions. Arrange portions as they were cut in prepared pan. Brush with reserved egg mixture and sprinkle top with remaining 2 Tbsp. oats and 4 tsp. sugar.
• Bake biscuits until puffed and golden, 30-35 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

GINGERBREAD STAINED GLASS BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the sugar, golden syrup and butter in a pan until melted. Mix the ginger and flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the melted mixture and stir - it will fizz a little - then pour into the flour mixture with the egg. Stir to combine. The mix will be soft but will firm up as it cools.
• Scoop the mixture into a box or fridge bag and chill for at least 1 hr until firm enough to roll out. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for three months.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Briefly knead the first piece, then roll it on a lightly floured surface to 2mm thick. Cut into shapes with snowflake or star cutters about 12cm across, then transfer to lined baking sheets, leaving a little room for them to spread. Cut a window out of each biscuit using another cutter about about 6cm across, then add a sweet to the centre.
• If the sweets are large, chop them up first - you'll have to judge by the size of the hole. (Don't be tempted to add too much or it will spill over the edge.) If you plan to hang the biscuits, make a small hole in the top of each one using the end of a piping nozzle (the hole will close up a little so make sure it's big enough). Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake in batches for 5-6 mins or until they darken slightly and the sweets have melted. If the holes have closed up, remake them while the biscuits are warm. Leave to cool and harden up completely before moving them. Don't forget to bake the parts you've cut out, too! You can decorate the biscuits further by using white piped icing, if you like.

GINGER BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine baking mix or flour, sugar, ginger, soda and salt. Using hands, rub egg into mixture. , In a saucepan, warm syrup and butter; stir into batter. Let stand for 3-4 minutes, then knead. Roll heaping teaspoonfuls into small balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes. Cookies will flatten and "crackle" when done.