Valentines Gingerbread Biscuits

Made with love, just the thing to give to your Valentine!

I posted some to Edward across the seas somewhere and just hope that they arrive sometime around Valentine's day and in not too many crumbs.

Of course if you don't have a Valentine they still taste just as good...

4oz/100g butter at room temperature

3oz/75g light brown soft sugar

2tbsp golden syrup

1 egg yolk (you can freeze the egg white and use it another day to make meringues or macaroons)

8oz/200g plain flour

1.5tsp ground ginger

1tsp cinnamon

0.5tsp baking powder

pinch salt

(optional finely grated 2tbsp crystallised ginger/ginger in syrup - makes the biscuits slightly chewy instead of crisp)

Cream together butter and sugar.

Beat in egg and syrup (and the grated ginger if using), then sift in dry ingredients and work in with a wooden spoon until it comes together.

 Roll out to 3-5mm thick (depending on how thick you like your gingerbread), cut out shapes and place them on a lightly greased baking tray.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160C/gas mark 2.5 for about 9 minutes until just turning pale brown, then leave to cool on a rack.

Either drizzle with chocolate.

Or decorate using a simple icing made from icing sugar and a splash of hot water.

Use a piping bag and nozzle or a sandwich bag with a tiny piece of the corner cut off to pipe patterns or words on your biscuits then leave to dry a few hours before storing in an airtight tin.