Wholemeal Spelt Gingerbread People

gingerbread person cookie cutter, 2 x large baking trays, 2 x mixing bowls and saucepan

GINGERBREAD
200g Doves Farm Organic Wholemeal Spelt Flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp Doves Farm Bicarbonate of Soda
pinch of salt
75g vegan baking block
75g soft brown sugar
50g molasses
vegan butter, for trays
flour, for dusting

OPTIONAL DECORATIONS FOR GINGERBREAD
currants, chocolate treats or writing icing

190°C, Fan 170°C, 375°F, Gas 5

Wholemeal Spelt Gingerbread

1. Measure the flour, cinnamon, ginger, coriander, allspice, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Sieve the flour blend into another bowl, adding the bran left in the sieve to the bowl.
3. Stir to re-combine the bran.
4. Put the baking block, soft brown sugar and molasses into a saucepan and heat gently, swirling the pan occasionally until dissolved.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, pour everything into the flour blend and mix until combined.
6. Leave the dough to cool.
7. Pre-heat the oven 20 minutes before you are going to bake.
8. Rub some baking block around the inside of two large baking trays or insert a baking liner.
9. Dust the work surface very lightly with flour, put the dough in the middle and sprinkle it with a little more flour.
10. Roll out the dough until 7mm/¼” thick.
11. Press the gingerbread man cookie cutter into the dough to cut out the shapes.
12. Gently transfer the shapes to the prepared baking trays.
13. Gather left over dough into a ball, roll it out again and cut more shapes.
14. If adding currants or chocolate treats, moisten them lightly with water and press into the dough.
15. Bake for 8-12 minutes.
16. Leave to cool on the trays.
17. Store cold gingerbread people in a tin.

Decorating the Gingerbread People

1. Use writing icing to create features and patterns on the gingerbread.
2. To add other edible decoration to cold gingerbread people, put a dot of icing on the biscuit and add the decoration.
3. Leave until all the icing has set firmly.
4. Store gingerbread people in a tin.