Cluck, Muck & Cook

Baking & Foodie Blog From Sunny Brentwood Essex

Bake with the kids

2 Bake with the kids

Halloween Gingerbread Men

While the wife’s away the kids will play.

This weekend has been a boys weekend in my house, with the wife popping away to catch up with some old school friends. Which left me and my two boys alone for the weekend to get up to mischief.

Gingerbreadmen

Gingerbread Men

On Saturday morning we decided to pop to the local farm shop’s new cafe to sample their breakfasts. As usual at any coffee shop we go to the boys will sniff out the gingerbread men. The farm shop was full of pumpkins as Halloween is just around the corner. That gave me the idea to dust off my favourite gingerbread man recipe and do some baking with the boys. Skeletons and mummies were on the cards.

I have a great skeleton cutter that I have not had a chance to use yet that imprints a skeleton onto the dough so you can fill the impression with icing. Unfortunately the definition was slightly lost as the biscuits cooked but it did give me a guide for my first attempt at piping royal icing. The smaller mummies I just free handed with a small flat piping nozzle.

Gingerbread skeleton

Gingerbread skeleton

This recipe uses golden syrup rather than treacle so makes a slightly lighter coloured gingerbread but it has a good kick of ginger and cinnamon to make a lovely, warming biscuit.

Makes: About 20

Oven Temp: Gas 4, 350F, 180C (160C Fan)

Ingredients
350g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
125g butter
175g light soft brown sugar
1  egg
4 tablespoons golden syrup
Extra flour for rolling
250g royal icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
40-50ml water

Instructions

  1. Sift together the all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and whizz until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add in the sugar and whizz again just to incorporate.
  2. Beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the food processor and whizz until the mixture starts to come together. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with grease-proof paper.
  4. Roll the dough out to about half a centimetre thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using gingerbread men cookie cutters, cut out and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown.
  6. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes to cool slightly, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  7. To make the icing add the royal icing sugar, vanilla extract and 40ml of water to the bowl of a mixer with the whisk attachment or you can use an electric whisk. Before whisking mix together with a spoon or spatula. This will prevent a icing sugar cloud when you start mixing.
  8. Whisk for a couple of minutes until thick, if too thick to pipe, loosen with an additional teaspoon or two of water.
  9. Put into a piping bag.When cooled decorate with the icing.

Adapted from a GoodFood recipe.

Halloween Gingerbread Men
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A lighter coloured gingerbread but it has a good kick of ginger and cinnamon to make a lovely, warming biscuit.
Author:
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • 350g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 125g butter
  • 175g light soft brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tablespoons golden syrup
  • Extra flour for rolling
  • 250g royal icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 40-50ml water
Instructions
  1. Oven Temp: Gas 4, 350F, 180C (160C Fan)
  2. Sift together the all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and whizz until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add in the sugar and whizz again just to incorporate.
  3. Beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the food processor and whizz until the mixture starts to come together. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with grease-proof paper.
  5. Roll the dough out to about half a centimetre thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using gingerbread men cookie cutters, cut out and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.
  6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown.
  7. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes to cool slightly, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  8. To make the icing add the royal icing sugar, vanilla extract and 40ml of water to the bowl of a mixer with the whisk attachment or you can use an electric whisk. Before whisking mix together with a spoon or spatula. This will prevent a icing sugar cloud when you start mixing.
  9. Whisk for a couple of minutes until thick, if too thick to pipe, loosen with an additional teaspoon or two of water.
  10. Put into a piping bag.When cooled decorate with the icing.

 

0 Bake with the kids

Traditional Sugar Cookies

I do love creating a twist on a simple recipe. A basic sugar cookie is super simple to make, delicious, sweet and chewy and the options of what you can add to it are limited only by your imagination.

The sugar cookie is the go to basic cookie of America. I discovered them when I was fortunate to have the opportunity to live and work in Chicago as an expat and I came across the endearing passion that the Americans have for baking. I came back with a big book of “family” recipes from my co workers and over time they will work their way to this blog. Verena’s lemon bars are a delight and not to be missed.

These sugar cookies are a great staple to have in your repertoire and fantastic with an espresso to cut through the sweetness. For the UK pallet they can seem a bit sweet but the kids love them.

I am always torn between making a sugar cookie and a traditional Scottish shortbread. Which is a recipe for another day

Sugar Cookie with Smarties

I normally make a large batch and split the dough in two. One half for the kids and one half for the parents. The boys favourite is stuffed to the brim with Smarties or chocolate M & M’s. Whilst for the adults I love freeze dried strawberry or raspberry pieces.

sugarcookiesdoughRecipe

Makes: 3 dozen cookies
Oven Temp: Gas 3, 325F, 170C (150C Fan)

Ingredients
225g butter, softened/room temperature
300g caster sugar
1 egg
300g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325F/170C. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicon nonstick baking mat.
2. In a mixer with a paddle attachment or with a wooden spoon, cream together butter and caster sugar until pale, light and fluffy, Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract and mix until ­combined.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Do not over mix or the cookie will get tough.
4. At this stage add any additional ingredients such as choc chips, smarties or freeze dried fruit and mix until evenly distributed.
5. Scoop cookie dough into balls about the size of a walnut.
6. Place each ball of cookie dough onto the baking sheet lining. Leave an inch or two between each one for spreading and gently flatten slightly.
7. Bake for about 8 – 10 mins until lightly golden brown.
8. Cool on a wire rack then enjoy. These keep well in an airtight tin

Adapted from a recipe by Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch

 

Traditional Sugar Cookies
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Delicious soft and chewy sugar cookies
Author:
Serves: 36
Ingredients
  • 225g butter, softened/room temprature
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 300g plain flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Makes: 3 dozen cookies
  2. Oven Temp: Gas 3, 325F, 170C (150C Fan)
  3. Preheat oven to 325F/170C. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicon nonstick baking mat.
  4. In a mixer with a paddle attachment or with a wooden spoon, cream together butter and caster sugar until pale, light and fluffy, Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract and mix until ­combined.
  5. Mix in the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Do not over mix or the cookie will get tough.
  6. At this stage add any additional ingredients such as choc chips, smarties or freeze dried fruit and mix until evenly distributed.
  7. Scoop cookie dough into balls about the size of a walnut.
  8. Place each ball of cookie dough onto the baking sheet lining. Leave an inch or two between each one for spreading and gently flatten slightly.
  9. Bake for about 8 - 10 mins until lightly golden brown.
  10. Cool on a wire rack then enjoy. These keep well in an airtight tin