Gingerbread Teddies (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free*)

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 0.8 cup brown sugar packed soft
• 1  glacé cherry 
• 20 g soya cream cheese (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
• 30  currants 
• 3.5 tablespoons dairy-free margarine softened
• 20 ml dairy-free milk (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup with molasses or corn syrup)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1.3 cups flour plain gluten-free white

Equipment

• baking sheet
• oven
• baking pan
• cookie cutter

Directions

1. Cream together the margarine, soya cream cheese, sugar, syrup and milk.Sift together the dry ingredients and fold this into the creamed mixture a little at a time until you achieve a soft dough.Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it lightly to incorporate all the ingredients.
2. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/2 cm [1/8 to 1/4-inch]. Stamp out teddy shapes with a cookie cutter and transfer them carefully to a greased baking sheet.Halve the cherry and slice off a small piece for each teddy’s mouth. Position two currants for its eyes and three more for buttons.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the teddies are well risen and a light golden colour. Once they are cooked, leave the teddies on the baking tray for at least 10 minutes to harden.After cooling completely, the cooked teddies can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.