The Edible Christmas - my son's gingerbread cookies

And here I am, back again for the third time in a week!! Seeing that the blog will probably go into an hiatus during the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve - except for that usual end of year post, that is! - I am packing up all the yummy recipes so that you have time to cook them up, in case you want to. These are all fairly easy to bake, and if you need a last minute treat to take on one of those never ending Christmas meet-ups, dinners, luncheons, parties that precede the big day, well, you can't go wrong with the stuff I've posted here. They're quick, they're yum, and you'll be much appreciated for bringing these along!

So, gingerbread cookies. We've all had them, we've all baked them, we've all bought them - or at least been offered a pack of them, right? They're usually snappy and crunchy, heady with spices, sweet and a little bit addictive, even of they're some of my least favourite cookies in the world. There, I've said it. I'm not much of a cookie person, unless it's savoury cookies we're talking about, but will indulge on homebaked cookies like anyone else, if we have them lying around the pantry, doing nothing, the poor things, except wait for someone to notice them. I'll notice one or two and munch on them, but admittedly won't miss them when they're gone. And if they're store bought, I will forget they even exist. Not my son.

And not when it comes to gingerbread cookies. Kiddo loves them like mad, I think these may even be his favourite cookies. For years he's been nagging us to buy dry ground ginger so he could bake gingerbread men, and this year we finally caved in. I must confess that it was pretty much my call, as not being a fan of said cookies, I am a huge advocate for bread, and the idea of a gingerbread soda bread had been playing around my head, and I wanted to bake it. Revert to the start of this week for said recipe, it is a knock out and the best Christmas-y bread you'll ever bake. So we got the kid some ground ginger, and he whisked us off into the kitchen to help him bake these lovelies.

Now, one thing must be said of us, we're a ginger loving household around here. Fresh ginger, that is. I make it a point of always having it around, especially during the colder season, as I tend to get hit by all the colds and viruses and bacteria going around. Ginger, lemon and turmeric are staples for me, as they help ease the symptoms and afford me much needed comfort. That and honey - still don't understand this proudly yelling thing of not consuming honey, but hey, gimme all the honey for my colds and tonsilitis and coughs. Maple syrup and agave just won't do the trick, know what I mean? If that makes me an unworthy, cruel and disgusting human being, well, no one said you have to like me. I'm the worst person in the world, and have always stood by it, eheh. Moderation and a brain is my motto, thankfully, being a control freak, moderation is always my thing, as for the brain, I do love mine - Hannibal feels all the way!!

Because of our love for ginger, these cookies have a whole extra layer of flavour to them, we've added a ginger syrup - yes, we have used sugar! Enter the witch hunter! - and the crystalised remains of ginger leftover from said syrup. It was just the thing to do. If usually gingerbread is my least favourite, these have become a must have for all my future Christmas. Even my mother, picky as she tends to be with certain outlandish flavours, has expressed her approval of them, stating that the best part is the fresh ginger, blaring out a I love ginger and didn't know it that left me dumbstruck - which, as you can imagine, is pretty hard to do, seeing I'm such and opinionated little lamb. Or calf. Seeing I drink cow's milk, I must be a calf. Call me calfie, then.

So, without further ado or any more sarcastic considerations on the mindless preaching of well intended know it alls, here's the recipe. (btw, I deeply admire and respect vegans and vegetarians for their choices, and for standing up for what they believe, I simply can't stand the constant preaching of certain individuals, let alone their arguments for others becomong vegan or vegetarians. To each their own, I have always had a terrible time putting up with others telling me I'm unworthy of existing if I don't live the way they do.) Here's how you can bake these:

• 350 gr flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1,5 tsp ground cinammon
• 1,5 tsp ground all spice
• 1,5 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 60 ml ginger syrup
• 100 gr butter
• 175 gr sugar
• 1 egg
• 30 ml milk

Start by making the ginger syrup. Simply zest a finger of fresh ginger onto a pan with sugar and 80 ml water. Let it come to a coil, lower the heat, let it reduce until you have a thick syrup. Strain, reserve both the liquid as the leftover candied ginger. Now, mix the spice mixture with the flour and the baking powder. Stir the butter with the sugar, and add the ginger syrup - just the liquid - the egg, and the milk. Pour onto the flour mix and stir it all together, kneading until you have a silky, smooth dough. Wrap in cling film or baking parchement and allow it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pre-heat you oven at 170º, line a baking tray with parchement paper, and bring the dough out of the fridge. Roll it over a floured surface until you have about 3 milimeters thickness. Cut the cookies into the shapes you want - please make some gingrebread men, they're so cute! Add the candied leftover ginger to the cookies, by placing it over the cookie dough, press a bit into the cookie so it sticks. Place the cookies on the baking tray and let them cook until golden, for about 13 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack and if you wish to, glaze them with fondant! It's a winning recipe, I promise.