- Start making the cookies first, Add the sugar and butter to a large mixing bowl. Cream until smooth and fluffy, add the molasses, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Sift the flour, spices and baking soda and mix until combined. adjust the dough by adding more milk if too crumbly or more flour if too soft.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough so it is about 2cm thick. Use the Lekue cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Carefully place each cookie on a lined baking tray leaving 1-inch between each of them.
- Repeat until all of the dough is done.
- Bake the cookies in the oven. For soft cookies bake them for 12-14 minutes.
- Decorate the cookies: Add the icing ingredients to a bowl and mix until it forms a thick paste.
- Use a fine-tipped piping bag to decorate your gingerbread cookies as desired. Allow the icing to dry.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 1 week or freezer for up to 1 month.
For the date caramel:
- Soak the dates in hot water until soft, drain and add the dates and the rest of the ingredients of the date caramel to a blender and blend until smooth.
Ensemble the Christmas crack:
- line a baking sheet with parchment paper, layer the saltine crackers or the cookies at the base of a flat square tray, add a few dollops of the date caramel and smooth out, place in the fridge to set for a bit and then melt the chocolate and nut butter until smooth. Mix well, pour on to the date caramel and add the gingerbread cookies, sprinkles and candy canes as desired.
- Place in the fridge again to set, slice and enjoy!
