Hanging Spiced Biscuits

Hanging Spiced Biscuits

 This will be the first time I have made spiced hanging biscuits. You often see them in magazines or in more traditional images. I always think of them as quite a German thing to do as that is what my mind associates gingerbread and more rustic Christmas styles with.

I have a really easy method that I have just used while in my dressing gown first thing this morning as the kids are playing and distracted. It hasn't taken long.

Into one bowl put 350g plain flour, 1tsp of cinnamon and 3tsp of ground ginger. (I had no ginger as I couldn't find it in the shop so used 1tsp of nutmeg and 3tsp of cinnamon. (I love cinnamon though!) mix them all together.

Then into a pan, measure out 175g dark muscavado sugar, 85g golden syrup, 100g butter. Melt these down on a low heat.

Whilst melting the mixture, mix a tsp of bicarbonate soda with a tbsp of water. Also, lightly beat one egg.

Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and pour your sugar mix into it and also the bicarb and egg.

Mix all together well. The mixture should be soft and squishy. Leave it to cool then cover with Clingfilm and put in the fringe for an hour. This will firm it up. The mixture keeps for up to a week so you could always make it and not do the biscuits until a little later.

When you want to make you biscuits, place the dough on a heavily floured surface. Roll out and cut into whatever shapes you want. For hanging them make sure you put a hole at the top with a skewer.

Then bake in a 180C oven for 12-15 mins until. They darken slightly. If the hole closes whilst baking, while they are still warm re-skewer.

I took my batch to my mum's and decorated them using royal icing in piping bags. I fancied trying to be artistic but i found it really difficult! I did it with my youngest sister, brother and Raph. They all enjoyed it and we sat for a while listening to Christmas music and decorating them. I then strung with some string and have hung them on the tree.

Post by Emily