The proof is in the hoodie: 5 hours of gingerbread mayhem

Having not baked since I was circa 12 years old (and that was under mum’s close supervision and mainly involved licking the icing bowls) I was slightly unnerved by the MWorks Xmas Challenge. However, I rose to that challenge and after 5 hours of trials and tribulations I was the proud creator of 29 gingerbread snowmen (does that work? A ginger snowman..? Albino..? Reverse-albino? I'm slightly confused.com). Three of the gingerbread men were hand-in-hand with other gingerbread men (go figure what you will) as the first round had resulted in a three’s company, four’s a crowd-type situation within each baking tray, and they’d melded together.

Problems encountered were largely of the ‘much too sticky’ nature and were eventually solved with about 4 kg worth of flour wafted strategically all over the kitchen, as well as into the cutter thingy. It also took a good few profanities before I figured out I had to press LIGHTLY with the cutter and then simply lift it off and pull away the trim around the shape, not add 25 acme anvils’ worth of weight onto it until I cut through to China and then attempt to retrieve the sticky dough from inside the cutter.

All in all, I proved against all odds that contrary to my first impressions I am NOT the worst baker in the world, ever!!

Happy Christmas to one and all….
J