If you make a Cookie Advent Calendar you cannot miss the most iconic Christmas cookie recipe: gingerbreads!

I’ve never made them before, I’m not fond of spices but they really worth a try!

Of course web is packed with gingerbread recipes but I used the one from my favourite British baker, Paul Hollywood!

Of course good gingerbread men are decorated with icing: I did it but I used my standard icing recipe, the one I use with colors.

It contains corn syrup and the result, with uncolored icing, has been not as white as I wanted but slightly transparent so I took a pic of…

Nude gingerbread men! 😀 😀

They are also a little bit wrinkled, my fault, I worked the dough too much: it happens with this kind of pastry dough, you should always knead it as less as possible!

Let’s jump to the recipe!

Print Recipe

Classic Christmas gingerbread men, Paul Hollywood recipe.

Servings: 30

Ingredients

500 g plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 pinch baking soda
200 g cold, unsalted butter in small pieces
175 g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
150 g golden syrup or honey
150 g black treacle

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices together. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
In another bowl mix eggs, treacle and golden syrup/ honey.
Please consider I used 300 g honey because treacle and golden syrup aren't common in Italy.
Mix the ingredients from the two bowls and knead until smooth.
Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Roll the dough on a slightly floured surface, cut your shapes ( there is enough dough for a small house too) and put them on a lined baking tray.
Bake in preheated oven at 180°C/ 360°F for about 15 minutes.
When completely cool mix icing sugar with some drops ( you need very little) of milk.
Put the icing into a piping bag with a n.2 round nozzle ( writing nozzle) and decor your cookies.
They will last about a week into a tin box.