Ingredients (makes 48 Gingerbread Reindeer)

• For the GINGERBREAD:
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, well softened
• 2 tsps Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, lightly packed
• 3 cups Plain Flour
• 1 tbsp Ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Queen Vanilla Bean Paste
• 1/3 cup Golden Syrup
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tbsp Water
• To DECORATE:
• 1 packet Red Icing from the Queen Ready to Roll Icing Rainbow 5 Pack
• 1/2 cup Melted Milk or Dark Chocolate or use the Black Icing in the Queen Writing Icing Multipack

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and space out the racks so that you can fit in 2 trays of gingerbread biscuits at a time. Cover baking trays with baking paper.
2. In the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer, beat the softened butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the freshly ground ginger and beat until well combined.
3. Add the brown sugar gradually then add the Queen Vanilla Bean Extract.
4. Finally, pour in the golden syrup and continue to mix.
5. Next sift the plain flour, ground ginger and cinnamon together into a medium bowl.
6. Add half the dry mix to the wet mix and fold together.
7. Place the baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) into a coffee cup and add 1 tbsp boiling water. Let it bubble and fizz. Once the fizzing has stopped, add it to the wet mixture and fold through well.
8. Lastly, fold the last half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and combine very well.
9. Using a small ice cream scoop or a deep soup spoon, scoop out a ball of gingerbread dough. Roll it into a neat ball that should be about 3cm round. Place gingerbread dough balls onto the tray about 5 - 6cm apart (so they don't touch when they spread).
10. Bake the gingerbread for 12 - 15 minutes depending on your oven. The gingerbread should flatten, get a few little cracks on top and being to just brown on the edges.
11. Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 - 15 minutes and then spread onto wire racks to cool completely.
12. While the cookies are cooling, roll tiny little red noses using a little piece of red icing from the Queen Ready to Roll Icing Rainbow 5 Pack. Set these aside on a plate.
13. Once the gingerbread is completely cool, melt the chocolate and pour into a piping bag with a fine nozzle. Alternatively, you can use a ziplock bag with a tiny piece of the corner removed to create a nozzle. If you're not using chocolate, get out your black writing icing from the Queen Writing Icing Multipack
14. 'Draw' on the Gingerbread Reindeer Antlers (check out photo for inspo), eyes and then a drop of chocolate for the nose. Before the chocolate sets, drop the little red ball of icing into place so that once the chocolate (or icing) sets, the nose will be stuck in place.
15. Allow to set completely and then serve or store in an airtight container.

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This Gingerbread Recipe is just one recipe in the Queen Christmas Baking Series we've created this year.  Why not try the others:

• Pavlova Christmas Berry Wreath
• Fruit Mince Cupcakes