Gingerbread was a great favorite of the poet William Wordsworth, usually made by his sister Dorothy.

8 oz/ 250 g/ 2 ¼ cups plain flour
4 oz/ 100g/ ½ cup butter
5 oz/ 125 g/ 10 tbsp muscovado sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of ground cinnamon

Put the flour and spices into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter, using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Stir in the sugar, using a little water, and mix to a firm dough.  Press firmly into a lined and lightly greased square tin (the mixture should be about ½ inch thick).  Bake at gas mark 3, 325 degrees F, 160 degrees C for about 30 min.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire tray, then cut into fingers.

To make gingerbread men, make as above, but roll out on a lightly floured board to about ¼ inch thick, and using a special gingerbread men cutter, cut out the men.  Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 min.  When cooked, cool on a wire rack then, using an icing bag, pipe on the faces and buttons down the front.
 

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