17 Nov Sweet + Spicy Gingerbread Recipe

I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t love the delicious combination of flavours you find in a gingerbread man. They look cute and taste amazing, so why not make this clean-living version this Christmas? Heck, why wait? Make a batch any time of year!

Makes: 10

Ingredients
300 g (3 cups) almond meal
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
1 egg
Pinch of sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
In a bowl, mix together the almond meal, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder. Set aside.

Put the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla seeds, egg and salt in a food processor and whiz together until well combined.

Slowly add the combined dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse together to form a dough. Remove the dough from the food processor and shape into a ball, and then roll it between two sheets of baking paper, using a rolling pin, to a thickness of 1 cm.

Transfer the dough to the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up, then cut into shapes using cookie cutters or a sharp knife.

Place the cut shapes on the prepared baking trays and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until nice and golden.

Remove them from the oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack. You’re good to go!

Tip: These gingerbread men are even more phenomenal when covered with my raw chocolate. Don’t feel limited to just making gingerbread men here either, feel free to cut the dough into whatever shapes you like – I like to make gingerbread puppies.

This recipe features in and is from Eat Clean by Luke Hines and is published by Pan Macmillan, $39.99, available now in all good bookstores and online.