Kim-Joy’s ginger snap cats recipe

“These are exactly how grumpy ginger tom cats would be personified in cookie form,” says former Bake Off star Kim-Joy.

“These little guys look fierce, but that fierceness belies a crisp and addictive cookie, with a fiery ginger heat that warms your belly.”

Ginger snap cats

Ingredients:
(Makes 16)

For the cookie dough:
150g self-raising flour (to make gluten-free, substitute with a gluten-free self-raising flour blend, plus ¾tsp xanthan gum)
1¼tsp bicarbonate of soda
2½tsp ground ginger
70g caster or granulated sugar
¼tsp salt
75g unsalted butter, melted (or vegan butter – use one that’s close to 80% fat content)
3tbsp golden syrup

For the royal icing:
1 medium egg white (or 30-40g aquafaba or pasteurised
egg white)
180-240g icing sugar
Orange and black gel food dyes

Note: You only need to make half the quantity of royal icing, as it’s hard to make a much smaller quantity and divide it up to create different colours. Any leftover icing can be piped out onto baking paper in long thin strands and left to dry. Once dry, chop up – and you have made sprinkles! Store these in an airtight jar.

Method:

1. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

2. Add the flour (plus xanthan gum, if gluten-free), bicarbonate of soda, ginger, sugar and salt to a large bowl, and stir until combined.

3. Pour in the melted butter, add the golden syrup and stir until the mixture forms a soft dough.

4. Roll the dough into a 25-cm long log shape, then cut into 16 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheets, spaced at least 5cm apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a spoon – they will spread during baking. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cracked on top and deep golden in colour. Leave on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to firm up, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

6. While the biscuits cool, make the royal icing. Whisk the egg white (or aquafaba) with 180g of the icing sugar together in a large bowl until smooth, then gradually keep adding icing sugar and whisking to combine until the consistency is thick enough to pipe. If you lift a spoon out and drizzle over the top, the trail should hold for about 15 seconds before disappearing.

7. Leave a third of the icing white, then divide the remaining icing between two bowls. Dye one portion orange and the other black using gel food dyes. Transfer the different icing colours to piping bags, cutting a small tip in each. Pipe angry ginger tom cat faces onto each cookie and vary your designs, so that each cat is quirky and unique. Store in an airtight container for one to two weeks.

Bake Me A Cat by Kim-Joy is published by Quadrille on March 16, priced £16.99. Photography by Ellis Parrinder.