Homemade Christmas: gingerbread gift tags and garlands

Are you beginning to feel festive? Christmas is just around the corner and it's time for a spot of cosy Christmas baking. This gingerbread recipe is fun and simple to make you can get creative turning the biscuits into garlands or tags to decorate presents or hang on the Christmas tree.

It took quite a bit of experimentation to work out the recipe for perfect gingerbread biscuits that hold their shape when baked and taste delicious too. This is the recipe I used to give just the right result.

Christmas gingerbread gift tags and garlands recipe

1) Preheat the oven to 180°c / Gas 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2) Place the butter, treacle, syrup and sugar in a small pan and warm gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, sift the flour and spices into a mixing bowl.

3) Add the contents of the pan to the dry ingredients and mix well. Once combined, kneed gently to form a smooth, stiff ball of dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

4) Roll out the dough to 2mm thick on a floured surface and cut out the shapes using your favourite cutter. Use a straw to make two holes in the centre of each biscuit then transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.

5) Bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them as the cooking time will depend on the size of the cutter you used. Cool on a wire rack then store in an airtight container.

Makes about 32 biscuits

Once you've made your gingerbread men there's a host of ways you can use them... tying them onto Christmas presents is just the start!

• Thread a row along a length of pretty ribbon and hang along the mantlepiece (not too close to the fire!)
• Make one hole in the top of the biscuits instead of two and pop them on your tree
• Tie around napkins as an extra treat on the table
• Get the kids decorating them with tubes of icing to give to their friends and teachers
• Dunk them in tea and munch in front of the fire!