Gingerbread Men

Just recently I spent a few nights in Queensland. I love Queensland. My best friend and I wandered around Brisbane city for a day, catching the City Cat along the river, witnessing a protest, drinking gingerbread frappachinos at Starbucks, and then driving down the coast to Surfers Paradise... My best friend, Laura, and I have been lucky enough to spend time in Queensland twice this year, and both times we have practically lived off the same staple - Starbucks. This is sort of the best thing to be able to live off for a week - we no longer have the luxury of having a Starbucks where we live, and so being able to buy it every single day (sometimes twice - or three times - a day...) is exciting for us. I mean, seriously, gingerbread frappachinos?! Toffee nut frappachinos?! The nectar of the gods, I say, the most delicious thing you will taste, ever, I say. It actually tastes like you're eating a gingerbread cookie (or a toffee nut cookie!) Honestly, I could go on about my love of Starbucks forever, but whether or not that love is appreciated by others' as much as it is appreciated my taste buds is another story altogether.   

Obviously the drinks mentioned above are the kind of limited edition, Christmas-y goodness that only comes 'round once a year, because, of course, gingerbread and toffee nut (and chocolate peppermint) and such festive flavours. And the thing about having to come home from sunny Queensland is that, well, my daily Starbucks fix is no longer. Sure, I may not have whipped up a vegan frappachino with Christmas flavours to share with you, but I do have something equally as delicious, and still all in the holiday spirit - gingerbread men. I have actually never made gingerbread men before, and I decided to first make these as a test run last week for a Secret Santa that my family is doing; a bunch of fresh gingerbread men cookies in a Christmas-themed tin, not only cute, but suitable for ages 8 to 76! (Which is the range of ages I've got to work with who could be the recipient of my Secret Santa gift, just so ya know...) So second time around and a little tweaking, these little gingery folk are two-bite sized, super easy to make, and quite the festive treat. 

Gingerbread Men
Via Oh, Ladycakes
Yields 50 - 100 little men, depending on the size of your cookie cutter

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegan butter - I used Nuttelex
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 chia (or flax) egg - 1 tbsp chia/flax + 2 tbsp water 
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cloves, to taste
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour - I used 3/4 cup wholemeal spelt, and the rest unbleached white

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and molasses, using a hand mixer on high speed, for 20-30 seconds. Beat in the chia (or flax) egg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and baking soda, until just combined. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Once you've added 2 cups, start mixing in the flour 1/4 cup at a time. If the dough feels firm enough after 2 1/4 cups of flour have been added, omit the last 1/4 cup.

Preheat oven to 175˚C. Line a baking tray or two with baking paper; set aside. Line a flat surface with baking paper and lightly sprinkle with flour. Roll out the dough until it is 1/4" thick. Cut dough and transfer pieces to the prepared baking sheet; chill in freezer for 5 minutes prior to baking. Bake for 6-7 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack then store in an air tight container for up to five days.