BAKING TERMS RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. In a large bowl combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the spices.
  2. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, then add it to the dry ingredients. Stir in until it forms a stiff dough, then cut it in half.
  3. Transfer the paper from the baking sheets to a work surface and place a portion of the dough on each. Roll out to 5mm thick, then cut out directly on the paper, leaving a 2cm gap between each. Save the cuttings to make more people, or round ginger biscuits.
  4. Carefully lift the papers back onto the baking sheets and bake the gingerbread in the oven for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
  5. Leave to cool on the sheet for a few minutes – if you want to hang them as decorations, now is the time to pierce a hole through the top of each with a skewer – then move to a wire rack.
  6. Once cool, ice the gingerbread men and decorate with sprinkles, sweets and edible glitter.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.
  2. Peel, core and finely chop the pineapple.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs followed by the sour cream.
  4. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate soda and a pinch of sea salt and fold through, then mix in the coconut and pineapple.
  5. Pour into a lightly buttered and floured 18cm baking tin and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
  6. Cool slightly in the baking tin, then remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve.