Overview
These Latvian gingerbreads are a family specialty. Every family has their own variation – some pale, some soft, some bland… ours are none of those things! Roll the dough thin to get a crisp crack when you bite into these very moorish spicy biscuits.

Time
Baking time 8-9 minutes

Ingredients
750g plain flour
¼ ts bicarbonate of soda
3 TB cinnamon
3 TB ginger
1 ½ TB nutmeg
1 ½ TB cloves

1 cup brown sugar

130g lard
130g butter

½ ts cider vinegar
550g syrup (1:1 golden syrup & treacle)

Method 1 (original from my mother – see below for a quicker and easier version which works just as well!)

1 – In a large bowl, mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices.

2 – Add sugar, mix well.

3 – Rub in lard and butter.

4 – Add syrup and vinegar, mix well.

5 – Wrap in Glad Wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

6 – Preheat oven to 180° C.

7 – Cut as much as needed, then roll onto a floured board thinly. The thinner the dough, the crispier the biscuit.

8 – Cut into Christmas shapes and place on Glad Bake covered tray. Cook 8-9 minutes until just browning. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Method 2 (trialled this in 2023 when we had some old dough for a comparison – it works just as well!)

1 – Melt butter and lard with the syrups, vinegar and sugar. Allow to cool slightly.

2 – In a large bowl, mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices.

3 – Add syrup/butter/lard/sugar/vinegar blend and mix well.

4 – Form a dough and knead until it comes together and gets a bit shiny.

5 – Wrap in Glad Wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

6 – Preheat oven to 180° C.

7 – Cut as much as needed, then roll onto a floured board thinly. The thinner the dough, the crispier the biscuit.

8 – Cut into Christmas shapes and place on Glad Bake covered tray. Cook 8-9 minutes until just browning. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.