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Mary Berry’s Best Ginger Biscuits

Ditch the packet of shop-bought gingernuts because these biscuits from Mary Berry are simple to make, easy to freeze and too irresistible to stop at just one.

From the book

Mary Berry

Introduction

You know your favourite crisp, thick, moreish ginger biscuit? Well, this is it! Restraint is needed to keep the lid on the tin.

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Ingredients

50g (2oz) butter
1 level tbsp golden syrup
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
1 level tbsp ground ginger
75g (3oz) crystallised ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g (2oz) demerara sugar
50g (2oz) light muscovado sugar
1 medium egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

Measure the butter and golden syrup into a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until melted.

Place the flour, ground ginger, chopped ginger, bicarb and demerara and muscovado sugars in a mixing bowl. Mix well, then stir in the melted ingredients. Add the egg and bring the mixture together to form a dough.

Divide into 16 equal pieces and roll with your hands into small balls. Place on the baking sheets and slightly flatten to about 1cm (½in) thick. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden and firm around the edges.

Leave to firm up on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mary’s tips:

Keeps well in an airtight tin for 5 days.

Freeze well. Refresh in low oven once defrosted.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars

19 Ratings

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19 Comments

    default user avatar Brenda Taynton

    Make these cookies all the time, ingredients are spot on (although I sometimes add a little more powdered ginger). I cook for about 15 minutes to keep them soft and chewy. Perfect ginger cookies.

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    default user avatar Simon Hall

    Made this recipe the times now, always finishes with the perfect ginger biscuit.

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    default user avatar George Conway

    Good ingredients but the mixture is FAR too runny.
    We have carefully followed the recipe and it is definitely incorrect!?.

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    default user avatar Dixie 78

    Very easy recipe. Have made these biscuits several times and always a success, even when I forgot to use the crystallised ginger on one occasion!

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    default user avatar Jane

    Best recipe I have found. Works well with gluten-free flour and xanthem gum.

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    default user avatar Alice

    The taste is perfect, only the baking time is wrong. Mine were dark brown instead of light brown. Far too long. I will bake new biscuits tomorrow.

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    default user avatar Roger Smart

    Perfect, easy to follow. I didn’t have any crystalline ginger so upped the ground ginger and added half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, baked for 24 minutes at 140 c. Great taste and looked just like the picture.

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    default user avatar Les

    This is the best ginger biscuit recipe that I’ve ever baked.

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    default user avatar Lesley

    This is the best ginger biscuit recipe that I’ve ever baked

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    default user avatar David Lenham

    The recipe per se is good but the 25 minutes baking time is totally wrong. I followed the instructions precisely but when I checked the biscuits after only 11 minutes they were already burnt. I baked the second batch for 9 minutes and they were cooked perfectly.

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    default user avatar Busy Bee

    Amazing biscuits and so easy to make! I’m not a careful baker but these came out so perfectly shaped the person I gifted them to wondered if they were shop bought until they tried one!

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    default user avatar Hayles

    Delicious! Mine were thinner biscuits when cooked unlike the picture but not a problem.

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    default user avatar Sarah

    Nice biscuit recipe soon with family ready eat them still merry christmas soon

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    default user avatar Lizzie

    I make this regularly for the family. It’s nice and spicy and the biscuits keep well, given the chance.

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    default user avatar Fiona

    A friend made these biscuits for a group of us just before Christmas. I thought they were lovely and asked for the recipe. I have made them lots of times since then and everyone who has eaten them thinks they are gorgeous. My sister-in-law now makes them for her friends. A wonderful recipe.

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    default user avatar Bob

    It doesn’t need the egg. I used 2 tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of sunflower oil to supplement the mix. A very crunchy biscuit results.

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