Gingerbread Gift Jar Recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE GINGERBREAD GIFT JARS:
400g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp lebkuchen spice mix
750ml glass storage jar
100g light soft brown or raw cane sugar
TO MAKE THE GINGERBREAD:
Gingerbread gift jar mix (see above)
150g salted butter, chilled
1 egg
100g golden syrup
A splash of milk (optional)
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp cold water
Edible decorations (optional)

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 15 mins (optional)

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Method

1. TO FILL THE JAR In a large bowl, mix together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and lebkuchen spice mix. Carefully spoon half of this into a clean, 750ml jar. Using the back of a spoon, level out the mix, pressing down gently.

2. Spoon the sugar on top of the flour mix. Using a spoon, gently press down. Spoon in the final half of the flour mix to fill the jar, pressing down with a spoon. Pop the lid on the jar.

3. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar, adding a cookie cutter, label and recipe (steps 4-10) if you like.

4. TO MAKE THE GINGERBREAD Tip the contents of your gingerbread gift jar into a large mixing bowl. Coarsley grate 150g chilled butter into the bowl and rub together to resemble breadcrumbs.

5. Beat 1 egg with 100g golden syrup. Stir into the flour and butter mix. Gently knead till you have a combined dough. If it seems a bit dry, add a splash of milk to help bring it together. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 mins.

6. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.

7. Once the dough has rested for 30 mins, gently roll out on a flour-dusted work surface to ½cm thickness.

8. Cut out the dough into your chosen shapes and pop them on your lined tray. If hanging on your tree, poke a small hole near the top of each biscuit using a skewer or chopstick. Bake for 12-15 mins till golden. Take out of the oven and poke the skewer or chopstick through the holes again to make sure they are big enough. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

9. TO DECORATE THE GINGERBREAD Mix together 100g icing sugar with 1 tbsp cold water and mix till smooth and thick, adding a little more water if necessary. Pipe or spoon over the biscuits to decorate them. If you made holes in the gingerbread to turn them into decorations, thread your box string or ribbon through the holes and then hang on your Christmas tree.

10. EAT ME, KEEP METhe gingerbread will keep for 3 days in an airtight container. If you hang them on the tree they will start to go stale, so they are better eaten the day you hang them up or just used as decorations.