Gingerbread
Prepare carefully. Work safely. Evaluate honestly.
- Serves / makes
- 6 servings — 12 biscuits; 2 each
- Preparation
- 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes chilling
- Cooking
- 10–12 minutes per tray
- Total time
- 55–65 minutes, plus cooling
Heat / oven setting180°C conventional / 160°C fan
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 187.5g | |
| 1.5 tsp | |
| 0.38 tsp | |
| 0.38 tsp | |
| 75g | |
| 60g | |
| 2.25 tbsp | |
| 37.5g beaten egg, weighed without shell (beat whole eggs and weigh the amount needed) |
Tick ingredients as you prepare them. Ticks reset when you reload.
Equipment
- Digital scales and measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls and sieve
- Wooden spoon or electric whisk
- Baking tray or tin, as directed
- Baking paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Oven gloves
- Rolling pin
- Biscuit cutters
Method
Prepare
Wash hands and clean the workstation. Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate into a bowl. Line two trays. For a fractional egg quantity, beat the egg first, then weigh the stated amount without shell.
Rub in
Cut butter into small cubes and rub into flour with fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Make dough
Stir in sugar. Mix syrup and egg, then add to dry ingredients. Bring into a smooth dough without overworking. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.
Roll
Preheat oven. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick. Cut 12 shapes, re-rolling offcuts once if necessary.
Bake
Arrange apart on trays and bake for 10–12 minutes until set and lightly browned at the edges. Do not taste raw dough.
Cool
Leave on trays for 5 minutes, then cool on a rack. Evaluate even thickness and crispness.
Portion for six
Makes 12 biscuits; 2 each. Divide evenly between six people.
Food safety
- Wash hands, clean surfaces, tie back hair and use clean equipment. Check use-by dates and ingredient labels before starting.
- Do not taste uncooked dough or batter: raw flour and eggs can carry harmful bacteria. Use oven gloves and take care with hot trays, sugar and steam.
- Cool bakes on a clean rack. Keep plain dry bakes in a clean airtight container; refrigerate any perishable meat, dairy or cream-filled items promptly. Freeze extra portions if needed.
Guidance: Food Standards Agency cooking advice ↗
Nutritional considerations
Flour supplies carbohydrate, while butter and sugar make this an energy-dense occasional snack. Ginger gives flavour without extra sugar.
Practical skills
Rubbing in, chilling dough, rolling to even thickness and cutting shapes.
Presentation
Use clean serving equipment, divide evenly and wipe the plate or dish edges. Check the finished food against your planned colour, texture and appearance.
Evaluate your practical
Describe the appearance, flavour, texture and a skill you used successfully.
Explain one improvement to the recipe, your timings or your technique.
Classroom adaptation written from the recipe title in your collection. Review portions, ingredients and timings with your teacher before a practical.
Times are approximate. Quantities are for the stated yield; accompanying foods are included only when listed. This learning sheet does not itself award a qualification.