Pretzel Gingerbread

New twist of gingerbread in pretzel form for Chinese New Year celebration, another festive biscuit obviously I’m not good at the Chinese biscuit. Most of the Chinese celebration snack is frying with oil, since I having a bad sore throat I will avoid that. (I tried) What so special about these pretzel gingerbread is simply I added the Chinese New Year element: zest of the orange and my special gingerbread spice. I always have this gingerbread spice in my pantry stocking.

The weather has been a grey and dull for weeks, I decided to cheer it up by making something in the kitchen since the Chinese New Year is around the corner, is a good excuse for me to rustle up some festive snacks; Otherwise I will be lazying on the couch and read. I am very exciting to see the food stall that selling the tempting traditional snack. I might think of a new version of them and give it my own twist on the classic, I should probably ask my Mother for the classic recipes.

I loved the crunch of this biscuit, specially I added the zest of orange. It gives the tang every time I open the jar yet it is not over powering the spice. You should have it a go for this try for your kids and get them involve in the process of making them, is much more fun.

Gingerbread spice

• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground all spice
• 1 tbsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp ground nutmeg

For biscuits (make 35-40)

• 300g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp gingerbread spice
• 100g soft butter
• 100g soft dark brown sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 large eggs, beaten with 4 tbsp of runny honey
• 80g caster sugar to sprinkle

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and preheat the oven to 170ºC.
2. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, gingerbread spice in a bowl, stir to mix and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat the eggs and honey together until is well combine. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together with wooden spoon until pale and light.
5. Add the eggs and honey mixture into the butter and sugar mixture, and then continue to beat until well combine.
6. Finally add the flour mixture into large bowl that content eggs and honey, butter and sugar. Bring it all together by hand to form a dough and it clean the side of the bowl. Don’t over working, otherwise the dough will become very elastic and shrinking during baking.
7. Form 2 fat discs and put one, covered in clingfilm or in a freezer bag, in the fridge while you get started on the other. (At this stage you can leave the dough in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes or overnight.)
8. Dust the work surface with flour. roll out the disc, also floured, to about 5mm and cut out with cutter of your choice. Transfer them onto the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle some caster sugar on top.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes: it’s hard to see when they’re cooked, but you can feel; if the underside is no longer doughy, they are ready. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in air tight jar or container it will last for 1 week.

I do hope you will enjoying the biscuit as well as your kids do. With the same recipe you could use it as Christmas gingerbread biscuit either just cut it in Christmas shape cutter, and it will look very Christmassy.