Ingredients

3 tablespoons golden syrup

75g caster sugar

1 tablespoon water

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1½ teaspoons ginger

75g butter

½ teaspoon baking soda

225g plain flour

Chocolate pieces for decoration

As this recipe requires the use of hot elements and oven, children must be supervised at all times while making the mixture. Not suitable for children under five.

Preheat your oven to 180^oC. Place golden syrup, sugar, water and spices into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring well. Remove from heat and add butter and baking soda to the sugar mixture, mixing in well. Add flour, a bit at a time, until mixture makes a firm dough. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, get your favourite Christmas cutters or gingerbread man cutter and cut out your shapes. Decorate with chocolate bits for eyes and place well spaced out on lightly greased tray. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Decorating Gingerbread men

When cool, use red coloured icing to pipe a mouth on each gingerbread man. For buttons, use a small amount of icing to help make M & Ms stick to the biscuits.

Use as Christmas tree decorations

Before placing in oven, make a hole at the top of each shape with a knitting needle . When the biscuits are cooked, allow to cool and then use coloured ribbon to tie each biscuit to the Christmas tree. We recommend doing this the night before Christmas - otherwise little fingers might enjoy them before the big day!

Christmas gift

Gift wrap the decorated biscuits for a special homemade treat from the children to grandparents or family friends.