What we have been eating recently 2

Number 2 in a very occasional series… I took the photos for this blog post and started writing it in September 2013.  But then - gaargh! - I lost the recipe and only discovered one that was as good as the original yesterday.  It's been tested and approved by Reuben and Tilly, so here you go:

Ruth Burdekin came to stay with us recently for a few days and brought some awesome cookie cutters with her, plus the cookie dough.  Cue a baking session with plenty of child appeal:

What's so good about these biscuits then?  Prepare to marvel at...

NINJABREADMEN!!

Gingerbreadmen are so passé, don't you think?

Here's my recipe, with instructions taken from the cookie cutter box.

Ninjabread biscuits

350g plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger 

(this is a child friendly amount - add more if you like things spicy!)

100g margarine

175g soft brown sugar

4 tabs golden syrup

(NZ golden syrup is darker and has more of a treacle flavour than the UK kind, so replace 1 tab of syrup with treacle if you like, UK bakers)

1 beaten egg

Recipe credit: Celebrate! Churchill Park School 50th Jubilee Cookbook

Quietly cream together margarine and sugar.  Add egg and mix thoroughly.  Add the syrup (and treacle if using) and blend into the night.

Add all the dry ingredients and mix with deadly accuracy.  Wrap and chill dough for 30 mins.

Moving like the wind, preheat oven to 190C.

Using about 1/3 of the dough, roll it out to approx. 5mm thick between two sheets of greaseproof paper.  Keep the remaining dough in the fridge until needed.  Your hands move like a whisper, cutting dark shapes into the dough.

Release the ninjas and transfer carefully to a greased baking sheet.  In warmer weather, it may be easier to remove the excess dough from around the ninjas and transfer the piece of greaseproof paper to the baking sheet.

Bake for approx. 10 mins or until starting to brown.  Decorate when cool with traditional ninja accessories of your choice.

Now your super-stealthy ninjas are ready to be unleashed on your unsuspecting guests.  Watch them disappear...