Countdown to Christmas with the Gingerbread men

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From gingerbread men to gingerbread houses, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without those delicious cookies.

Ginger root was first cultivated in ancient China where it was mainly used for medicinal purposes.

It soon spread to Europe and during the Middle Ages it was favored as a spice for its ability to disguise the taste of preserved meat.

Apparently ginger was also used in a wild attempt at building resistance to the plague and even today we still commonly use ginger as an effective remedy for nausea.

The first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400BC.

The cookies which were often shaped like animals or people especially kings and queens became a focal point at Medieval fairs in England, France, Holland and Germany.

The shapes used when making gingerbread changed with the season, including flowers in spring and birds in autumn.

Fun fact: June 5th and November 21st are National Gingerbread Days.

So, here is how you make 20 of those tasty little Christmas treats and leave your home smelling magical:

350g plain flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125g butter

175g soft brown sugar

1 egg

4 tbsp golden syrup

☃ Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

☃ Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

☃ Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line two baking trays with grease-proof paper.

☃ Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼in thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread men shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.

☃ Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. When cooled decorate with icing and cake decorations.