Recipe: Easy Dairy Free Gingerbread Cookies

The last time I made cut out cookies with the kids, I swore I’d never do it again. It took a LOT longer than I expected, there was a lot of messing and fighting and sulking due to imperfections. Today was a lot better. I was a little more organised this time, the gingerbread dough was very quick to make and I didn’t get the kids to help until it was finished cooling in the fridge. I gave each of the boys a quarter of the mix so they had their own to work with while I worked with the rest.

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Easy Gingerbread Cookies

Delicious dairy free gingerbread cookies. Child friendly recipe so they can help out, and lots of fun for everyone to get involved in decorating!

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 350 g plain flour
• 1 tsp bread soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 125 g dairy free margarine
• 175 g light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 60 ml golden syrup
• Writing icing and silver balls to decorate

Instructions

1. Sieve flour and bread soda into a bowl. Add ginger and cinnamon. Mix well.
2. Put the mix into a food processor and add margarine, pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, rub in the margarine using your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Note: If your food processor is just 1 litre capacity like mine, then do this in two halves and mix together in large bowl after.
3. Stir in sugar.
4. Beat egg, mix with golden syrup and add to dry mixture. Mix until it resembles a firm dough.
5. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 2-3 minutes
6. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
7. Heat oven to 180C/170C Fan Oven and line two baking trays with baking paper.
8. If you’re letting children help, give them a portion of dough each to work with. Roll out gingerbread dough to 0.5 cm thickness.
9. Put a tablespoon of flour on a plate.Dip cookie cutters into flour before cutting each shape, this will make it easier to remove shape from cutter. Cut out shapes as desired, we made stars, Christmas trees and mini gingerbread men.
10. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before putting out on wire rack to finish cooling.
11. Decorate with writing icing and silver balls or with dairy free melted chocolate and desiccated coconut or lemon icing and writing icing.

Recipe Notes

These will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. You can also freeze them (undecorated), in a container with sheets of baking paper between them. Thaw them out completely before decorating. This is handy if you want to make them in advance. The unbaked gingerbread dough also freezes well.
Put in a pretty glass jar or tin to give as a Christmas gift or they make a great alternative to shop bought Christmas biscuits to have when visitors call! Enjoy!

Adapted from BBC Good Food