Gingerbread Men (or Ladies....or anything)

This is a really great recipe for ginger-bread biscuits, they have a lovely rich flavour, and are not too gingery...(add more ginger if you want a stronger ginger flavour).
You Will Need
225g/8oz plain flour
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ginger-bread spice
½ tsp bicarb. of soda
75g/3oz butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp black treacle 55g /2oz soft light brown sugar
20g/1oz oz dark muscavado sugar
1 tbsp water
50g/2oz icing sugar (to decorate)

Method
The oven should be set to 180°C/350°/gas 4, and two baking trays need to be greased. You will need a cooling wrack.
Sift together the flour, spices & bicarbonate of soda in a bowl. Place the butter, syrup, treacle, sugar & water in a saucepan over a low heat. Heat gently till the butter has melted & all the sugar dissolved. Cool for 5 minutes.
Pour syrup into the flour mixture and blend to a soft dough. Leave covered for 30 minutes before rolling out to about 3mm thick. Cut into shapes with a cutter and place on the baking trays. Bake for about 10 minutes till golden.
Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick paste and decorate with a piping bag or cocktail stick.

Lavender & Vanilla Butter Biscuits

This is a lovely recipe with a delicate, yet distinct flavour. The lavender comes through, without being bitter, and is softened by the vanilla.

YOU WILL NEED:
75g/3oz caster sugar
seeds from one vanilla pod
175g/6oz butter, softened
175g/6oz plain flour
75g/3oz cornflour
2 1/2 tsp dried lavender flowers
2 tbsp caster sugar, for dusting

METHOD:
1) Set the oven at 170 C/325 F/gas 3, and grease two baking trays. You will need a cooling wrack.
2) For best results mix the sugar with the vanilla in advance (overnight), but the recipe will work if you do it before baking. Place the butter and flavoured sugar together in a bowl and mix well.
3) Sift the two flours, add the lavender and blend with the butter mixture to form a soft dough.
4) Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, knead gently and roll out. Cut out shapes with cutters, and place each biscuit on the baking tray. Prick lightly with a fork.
5) Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on the tray for a few minutes before moving to the wire wrack. Sprinkle with caster sugar.