These spiced gingerbread biscuits are a twist on a classic – the colour comes from the addition of cocoa and a surprising spice of native pepperberry, also known as mountain pepper.
Ingredients
Method
Place butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a medium saucepan; stir over low heat until butter melts and mixture is combined. Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Add egg to butter mixture; whisk to combine. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir to form a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight until firm.
Bring dough to room temperature. Line two large oven trays with baking paper. Roll out dough on a lightly floured piece of baking paper until 4mm-thick. Using a floured 5.5cm round pastry cutter, cut out rounds, re-rolling dough off cuts until all dough is used. Place gingerbread on prepared trays; freezer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Bake for 12 minutes or until a biscuit can be pushed gently without breaking. Cool on trays.
ROYAL ICING: Whisk egg white in a small bowl with a whisk until frothy, then gradually stir in icing sugar. Add 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice to thin. Place gold lustre dust in a tiny dish and stir in ½ teaspoon lemon juice.
To decorate gingerbread, top with a teaspoonful of icing, using an offset spatula and rotating the biscuit, push the icing smoothly to the edge, leaving a small border. Tap biscuit gently on a work surface to level icing; set aside until set. Using a small paint brush, dip it in the gold ‘paint’ and decorate as desired, using our image for inspiration.
Suitable to freeze.
Gold lustre dust is available from the baking section of supermarkets and cake decorator supply shops.
Test Kitchen tip
What is pepperberry?
Native pepperberry, also known as mountain pepper, is available from spice shops. This indigenous alternative to black pepper can be substituted with black pepper.
How long do these gingerbread biscuits keep?
Store biscuits layered between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Which type of cocoa powder should I use?
Use regular cocoa, not Dutch process as it as an alkaline added to it, whereas regular cocoa is acidic and will reacts with bicarb in baking to create a leavening effect.
