Super simple gingerbread men you can bake in 10 minutes
Nothing gets the tastebuds going like a warm slice of home-cooked gingerbread.
The baked treat offers a comfortingly rich blend of sweet and spicy notes, which simply scream out Christmas! And making your own gingerbread men has long been a festive and fun experience which can really get the family in the mood for the big day. So why not have a go at baking your own? Below, TikTok content creator kimberleycooks has shared a deliciously simple recipe that's high on taste - and low on effort.
Ingredients
125g butter
Half a cup of brown sugar
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Half a cup of golden syrup
One egg
Two and a half cups of plain flour
One tsp bicarbonate of soda
One tsp mixed spice
One tbsp of ground ginger
A gingerbread man cutter
A cup of icing sugar
Method
Pop the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and whisk until buttery smooth. Next add in half a cup of golden syrup and the egg yolk only, and mix together. Sieve in two and a half cups of plain flour and add one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, the teaspoon of mixed spice and tablespoon of ground ginger. Give it all a great mix.
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Pop it out of the bowl, wrap in clingfilm, and put it in the fridge for half an hour. Use a rolling pin to gently ease the mix into a flat surface as thick as you'd like the gingerbread mean to be. Then using a cutter, mark out all the gingerbread men. Finally, pop in the oven on 180C for ten minutes.
For the icing, simply put the egg white in a bowl along with the cup of icing sugar and whisk together. Then just pipe the mixture onto the gingerbread men. Voila! Easy, huh?
A brief history of gingerbread men
“The popularity of gingerbread during the holidays can, at least in part, be attributed to the belief that spices heated you up in the winter,” says Michael Krondl, author of Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert.
But where did the tradition of gingerbread men actually come from? Well it all harks back to ancient times, where the spice trade routes of the Middle East played a pivotal role. Ginger - a spice with a distinctive flavour and valued for its medicinal properties - found its way into Europe through these trade routes and quickly became a key ingredient in various baked goods.
The first recorded instance of gingerbread men can be traced back as far as the 15th century in Germany, where bakers started creating sweetened and spiced gingerbread dough. These early gingerbreads were often molded into intricate shapes, including animals and human figures.
The tradition of shaping gingerbread into men and women gained traction and slowly became associated with festive occasions. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I of England is said to have commissioned gingerbread men that resembled important guests at her court. This royal connection helped propel the popularity of gingerbread as a symbol of celebration and merriment. Over time, the association of gingerbread with holidays, particularly Christmas, became stronger and stronger.
By the 19th century, Gingerbread men became a firm staple during Christmas celebrations, with families enjoying the tradition of baking and decorating such charming cookies. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, which featured a house made of gingerbread, further added to the magical and festive vibe surrounding they treat.
Today, gingerbread men continue to be a beloved part of holiday traditions worldwide. The timeless appeal of these spiced cookies lies not only in their delicious flavour but also in the cultural and historical significance they carry, making them a delightful and cherished treat that bridges the past with the present. So what are you waiting for? Get that apron on and get baking!
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