Wartime Gingerbread Men (and Women)

Happy Thursday Lovelies

Its really quite chilly in the mornings now... and its getting light later and later. But it doesn't stop me from sitting on the front porch to drink my first cuppa of the day...

and watching the most amazing sunrises over the mountains

Christmas cookie season is here, and there isn't  a cookie that’s more festive than gingerbread men.

And because Christmas is not Christmas without a gingerbread man... or woman... even in wartime.. the Ministry of Food devised this delightful recipe.

The recipe is quite easy...although I did chill the dough before rolling. The cookies were delicious.. and the family really enjoyed them

2 oz. sugar or syrup

2 oz. margarine

8 oz. plain flour

½ level teaspoon mixed spice

2 level teaspoons ginger

few drops of lemon substitute

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

• Melt in a pan the syrup or sugar and margarine. 
• Pour into a bowl. 
• Add some flour and the spice and lemon substitute. 
• Stir well. 
• Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in a tablespoon of tepid water and add to the mixture. 
• Continue stirring, gradually adding more flour.  
• Turn out the mixture on to a well-floured board. 
• Knead in the remainder of the flour. 
• Roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch thick and cut out approx 10 gingerbread men. 
• Cook in the centre of an oven at 180 C for 15 minutes
• Cool and remove to a wire tray
• When cold decorate with icing, sprinkles and fondant shapes