How to Make Gingerbread Tree Decorations!

Gingerbread Man Tree Decoration

As you may have guessed I absolutely love Christmas! But, being on maternity leave means this year I have had to be a bit more careful with my money. When we put our tree up this year I thought it looked a little bare, a few of the glass decorations had broken as we moved flats last year, & the stocking and robin looked a bit lonely on the tree.

A friend suggested adding some tinsel, but my husband has very definite ideas about tinsel so that was a no! So I started looking for Christmas tree decorations that would be nice & cheap and decided to make Gingerbread Tree Decorations. If you have children old enough, then this is a really easy recipe to make with them & they will enjoy decorating them afterwards. So how do you make Gingerbread Tree Decorations? This recipe is loosely based on one from the National Trust, but adapted by my mum over many years.

Gingerbread Recipe

• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 tbsp black treacle
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ginger
• 190g butter
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 450g plain flour
• Embroidery Thread
• Icing writing, sweets, gold balls, anything you want to decorate your gingerbread with.

How to Make Gingerbread Tree Decorations

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
• Grease x 2 baking trays with butter.
• Put the sugar, golden syrup, black treacle, water, cinnamon and ginger in a large pan.  Heat to boiling point, stirring with a wooden spoon.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and bicarbonate of soda.
• Stir in the flour. Leave the mixture for at least half an hour until it becomes firm.
• Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/2 cm thick.
• Use a cutter to cut out your gingerbread shapes & place on the greased baking tray.

Use a cutter to cut out your gingerbread shapes.

• Use a carving fork to pierce to a hole in the top of the gingerbread shapes about 1/2 cm from the top.
• Cook for about 20 minutes until firm & golden.
• Leave to cool on the baking tray.
• Gently push the carving knife back through the hole made to ensure there is room for the thread to go through.
  

  Gently push the carving knife back through the hole made to ensure there is room for the thread to go through.

• Thread embroidery thread through the hole & tie to make a loop so you can hang your decoration on the tree.
  

  Thread embroidery thread through the hole & tie to make a loop so you can hang your decoration on the tree.

• Decorate your Gingerbread shapes.
  

  Decorate your Gingerbread shapes.

• Put your Gingerbread Decorations on the Christmas Tree!
  

  Decorate your Christmas Tree with your Gingerbread Decorations.

If you want to use the above recipe just to make gingerbread men can I recommend that you only put them in the oven for 10 minutes? Then they will be soft & gooey even when cooled.

If you like baking biscuits then please check out my blog on how to make chocolate chip cookies & champagne.