8 oz Self-raising flour
4 oz Soft brown sugar
4 oz Margarine
pn Salt
2 ts Ground ginger
1 tb Level golden syrup
Set oven to 350/F or Mark 4. Sieve the flour, salt and ginger
together. Cream the syrup, margarine and sugar in a bowl, then stir
in the dry ingredients. Knead the mixture on a floured surface to
form a smooth dough. Form into a sausage shape, press into an oblong
and cut into slices. Bake the slices in a greased tin until golden
brown; approximately 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before
removing from the tin. Some local recipes add a little grated root
ginger and or a level teaspoon of mixed spice. Gingerbread men were
made and sold in country towns at Easter Fairs and Autumn Wakes
Weeks. Fashioned in moulds, they were decorated with coloured hats
and scarlet or white sugar buttons. They can still be found for sale
today in Ashbourne and the surrounding area.
Yields
4 Servings