Festive Gingerbread Reindeer Recipe

ZESTY GINGERBREAD REINDEER

Makes up to 12 (depending on the size of your cutter. We used a 10cm long gingerbread man cutter)

• 50g butter
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 30g dark muscovado sugar
• Grated zest of ½ orange
• Pinch salt
• 125g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger

To decorate:

• 50g cream cheese
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 12 black/red grapes, pitted cherries, small strawberries or raspberries
• 24 Blueberries

Heat the butter, syrup, sugar and orange zest in a small pan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix together the cream cheese and icing in a small bowl until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Spoon into a piping bag with a thin nozzle, or simply snip the end off of a disposable piping bag. Keep cool in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, pour the butter mix, and stir to combine. Knead into a smooth dough.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 2mm thick, then use a gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes. Transfer to a tray lined with baking parchment. Re-roll any trimmings using up all of the dough. If it starts to dry, splash your hands with a little water and re-knead the dough.

Bake the biscuits for 10-12 mins until dark golden. Cool on the tray for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

To decorate, turn the gingerbread men so the feet are at the top. Pipe the cream cheese frosting to make antlers inside each of the gingerbread man leg shapes. Pipe blobs of frosting where the eyes and nose will go and sit on 2 blueberries for the eyes and a grape or chosen red fruit for the nose. Finally, pipe ears and a smile. Repeat with the rest of the gingerbread.

Leave them out for Santa or enjoy them yourself!