A gingerbread WONDERLAND
PHOTOGRAPHS TARA FISHER STYLING TABITHA HAWKINS
What could be more evocative of Christmas than the scent of spiced baking wafting from the kitchen? Mima Sinclair’s recipes for festive houses and decorations are versatile, beautiful and fun to make – not to mention very good to eat
My love affair with sweet things, inspired by my mum’s baking, has grown up with me. It’s moulded me, it’s comforted me, and that feeling of comfort has happily spread to others. That’s the joy of baking. With these recipes you can create perfect treats to serve up to friends at tea, give as gifts or use to create a festive centrepiece. MIMA SINCLAIR
Gingerbread dough
MAKES 1KG. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, PLUS CHILLING
This light dough is sweet and mild, making it very versatile. For a stronger-tasting, darker dough, replace 80g of the light molasses or golden syrup with 80g dark molasses or black treacle.
MAKE AHEAD
Prep the dough up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill until ready to roll, shape and bake.
• 140g light molasses, golden syrup or honey
• 200g soft light brown sugar
• 200g unsalted butter
• Finely grated zest 1 lemon (unwaxed)
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 500g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 medium free-range egg, lightly beaten
1 Pour the molasses (syrup/honey) into a large saucepan with the sugar, butter, zest and spices, then heat over a low-medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved.
2 Increase the heat to bring the mixture to boiling point, then take off the heat and beat in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will bubble up at this point as the bicarbonate reacts – mix briefly until combined, leave to cool for 15 minutes, then pour into a large mixing bowl.
3 Sift the flour and salt, then fold into the spiced sugar mixture in batches, using a wooden spoon or a stand mixer. Beat in the egg using a wooden spoon or a stand mixer until just combined. Don’t overwork the mixture or the biscuits will spread too much during baking.