WINING & DINING RECIPE S TO TRY AT HOME


GINGE R B R E AD DECOR AT IONS A FESTIVE FEAST FROM NEPTUNE


Every family has their festive traditions and if you have little ones in the house, why not make cooking your own edible Christmas traditions one of yours.


Gingerbread and Christmastime is a match made in festive heaven, from Hansel and Gretel-esque gingerbread houses to bakery windows filled with Father Christmas piped gingerbread biscuits, December effectively becomes a time to build a gingerbread-spiced shrine to admire (and later devour).


Edible gingerbread decorations are really simple to make (for all ages) and are a fun addition to the tree or even as table decorations or boxed gifts.


Neptune’s resident cook Georgie Prowse shares her version of spiced gingerbread for turning into edible Christmas tree decorations. Both vegan and gluten-free, it means nobody is left out of the nibbling. Hang them on your tree using clear thread if you like the idea of them floating. Otherwise, pick out a ribbon or two – try mixing thicknesses, material or colour – and loop them from your tree’s branches that way.


Makes enough for 35-40 shapes


INGREDIENTS FOR THE GINGERBREAD 400g plain flour gluten free, plus an extra sprinkle or two for rolling 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp all spice 1 tsp baking powder 150g coconut oil slightly softened 150g coconut sugar 50g maple syrup 1 tbsp chia seeds 5 tbsp water


FOR THE ICING


50g icing sugar A splash of water


METHOD


1: In a small bowl mix together the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Leave for 10 minutes to form a gel-like consistency.


2: In a large bowl, combine the flour with the spices and baking powder before getting hands-on by rubbing in the coconut oil using your fingertips. A breadcrumb consistency is the aim.


3: Back to your small bowl, add the coconut sugar and maple syrup to the chia seed mixture along with a further 2 tablespoons of water. Stir until it’s lump-free.


4: Preheat your oven to 180ºC fan or gas mark 6 and line a few baking sheets.


5: Back to baking, introduce the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring to combine.


6: Dust your work surface with flour and turn out the contents of the bowl, kneading them by hand to form a smooth dough. Add a touch more flour if you need to – the consistency shouldn’t be sticky.


7: With rolling pin in hand, roll out the dough to 3mm thick and then use cookie cutters of whatever shape you fancy to make your gingerbread pieces. Re-roll any leftover dough and repeat, until all of your gingerbread is used up.


8: Pop them onto the baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes – they should be just beginning to colour. Remember biscuits continue to bake a little when they’re out of the oven so don’t worry if they seem a touch soft.


9: While they’re still warm, make a hole in the top of each biscuit to thread your ribbon through.


10: Leave them to cool completely before icing – if you want to ice them that is. To make them as neat as can be, use a piping bag with your icing mixture being a thick paste consistency then pipe away!


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