If you’re looking to make some spooktacular treats to giveaway this Halloween, then you’ve stumbled across the perfect recipe! This delicious chocolatey twist on a classic gingerbread is perfect for little ones and adults alike, the only trick is being able to stop at just the one!

Gingerbread ingredients

• 400g plain flour
• 125g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 135g dark brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 170g unsalted butter, soft but still cool and cut into 12 pieces
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 180ml golden syrup
• 60g Lily O’Brien’s 70% Dark Belgian Chocolate, very finely chopped

Flood icing ingredients

• 900g royal icing sugar
• 150ml cold water
• Food colouring of your choice (if using)

Method

• In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment slowly combine the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and zest and stop when just mixed.
• Add the butter pieces and mix at medium to low speed for around a minute until the mixture resembles fine sand.
• Add the chopped chocolate and stir to combine then change to the paddle attachment.
• Whisk the egg and golden syrup together in a small bowl.
• Turn the mixer speed to low and, with the mixer running, slowly pour the golden syrup mixture into the dry mixture.
• Mix until the dough is moist, then increase the speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.
• Scrape the dough onto a work surface covered with a piece of cling film, divide the dough it into two halves and wrap tightly in separate pieces of cling film and refrigerate for an hour, or until firm enough to work with without becoming sticky.
• Working with one half at a time, roll the dough to 1/2 cm thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
• Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment paper, stack the dough on a baking tray and freeze for about 15 minutes until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line two baking trays (or more if using smaller trays) with parchment paper.
• Remove 1 dough sheet from the freezer, remove one side of the parchment and place this side onto a lightly floured work surface or a silicone pastry mat.
• Remove the top layer of parchment too and discard.
• Cut the dough using cookie cutters of your choice, setting the scraps aside for reuse.
• Place the shapes to the prepared baking tray with a wide, metal spatula and space them 1-2 cm apart.
• Transfer the trays with cookies back into the freezer for a few minutes to firm the dough up again before baking.
• Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes on the middle shelf. Allowing to cool on the baking tray for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Combine all of the leftover dough scraps and repeat the process of rolling between sheets of parchment paper and freezing the dough. Then, continue the process of making more cookies until all of the dough has been used.
• Cool cookies completely before decorating.

For the icing…

• To make the icing place the royal icing sugar into a large bowl and add the water. Stir slowly at first and thoroughly with a metal spoon until you get the consistency of toothpaste. Add a little more water to the mixture (tiny amounts at a time) if necessary until you reach this consistency. This is your base icing mixture so cover with a piece of cling film and refrigerate in between uses so it doesn’t dry out.
• If you are using multiple colours of icing, spoon some of this mixture into a smaller bowl and add your food colouring of choice and stir until well combined and is a smooth colour.
• Spoon this icing to a disposable plastic piping bag, tie the open end with a knot or a small rubber band then snip off the end. Outline your gingerbread shapes with your design and allow to dry.
• Next to flood your cookies with icing you will need to add some of your base icing mixture into another small bowl and add a little more water until this reaches the consistency of custard. Again if you want to use food colouring, add this now and stir until well combined and a smooth colour.
• To flood your cookies with icing, take one of your cookies you have already iced an outline onto and fill each outline with the flood icing mixture. Use a toothpick to prick any air bubbles and also use it to fill any tight spots by dragging the icing into those areas.
• Repeat the same processes above again for all the colours you would like to use.
• Once your cookies are all iced, place on a lined baking tray and place back into your oven on its lowest possible heat setting and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until the icing has hardened. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.