Cooking with children need not be difficult.  Sometimes you need a simple recipe that you can return to again and again and this super gingerbread recipe from Flora is perfect for kids, especially as there is no melting of butter or heat involved and it makes perfect Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies.

I also wanted to show that you do not even have to have festive cookie cutters or christmas cake decorations to make these Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies , which means you can get started now.  In fact these were all made, cut, baked and decorated by Mini aged nine.

I am passionate about cooking with kids.  I feel that it teaches children so many lifelong skills along with being super fun.  This gingerbread recipe is perfect for cooking with children as instead of using melted butter you use Flora Cuisine.  So this recipe is perfect for cooking in a group environment without the use of a hob or microwave such as a classroom or with a Cub Scout group.  Plus you don’t need cookie cutters just a straight line!

Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies

Ingredients

225g (8oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1–2 tsps bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground ginger
85ml Flora Cuisine
85g (3oz) soft brown sugar
85g (3oz) golden syrup

Instructions:

Making this gingerbread doesn’t really get much simpler, you just put it all in to a bowl nad  then combine, initially with a spoon and then with your hands.  There is no need to melt butter and sugar or even the golden syrup.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 75mm (¼ inch).

Using a straight line cut your gingerbread in to triangles.  We used a butter knife, but you could even use a plastic knife with younger children.

Transfer your triangles to a baking tray leaving plenty of space between them as your trees will grow in the oven!

Bake in the centre of preheated oven at 210°C, 190°C fan, gas mark 7 for about 10 minutes. Check that the shapes are not scorching after about 6 minutes.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing your Gingerbread Christmas trees

We mixed up a very simple icing for our trees which was icing sugar, green food colouring and water.  Add the food colouring to your water to get an even colour. We used our fabulous icing containers (UK Link/US Link) but you could transfer to a piping bag and cut a small hole in the end.

Whilst the icing is still wet cover with sprinkles of your choice.

This is a gingerbread recipe using Flora Cuisine, which means that you do not have to melt your butter or golden syrup, making this a great recipe to make with groups of children at school, cubs or beavers.

I would say that this gingerbread recipe isn’t suitable for making gingerbread houses, as it is a soft dough, but it is delicious and perfect for our gingerbread Christmas trees and would make ace gingerbread men too.

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