South African Ginger Cookies

Really nice ginger cookies, these, which have come a long way and are favourites for holiday times. It's a large recipe, meant for summer Christmas holidays on the sea! Please note that the cookie dough needs a couple of hours rest time in the fridge before baking. This was not added to the preparation time.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 180 cookies

Ingredients

• 500  ml golden syrup (2 cups corn syrup will do)
• 500  g butter, soft
• 2  eggs
• 50  ml vinegar
• 50  ml dried ginger, the dried, ground spice
• 1  tablespoon cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon ground cloves
• 500  ml light brown sugar
• 8  cups flour, unsifted
• 30  g baking soda
• 2  teaspoons salt

Directions

1. Mix the golden syrup (or corn syrup), butter, eggs, vinegar, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the sugar.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
4. Mix into the syrup-sugar mixture to make a dough or batter.
5. Cover and put in fridge for a few hours.
6. Heat oven to 200 deg C/400 deg F. Grease baking tins.
7. Roll the dough between your palms into little balls the size of walnuts. Place these balls with space between them on greased baking tins.
8. Press each cookie just slightly flatter with the tines of a fork.
9. Bake about 12 - 15 mins or until nicely browned, in centre of oven.
10. Cool slightly in the tins, then cool completely on wire racks.
11. Keep in airtight tins. About 15 doz cookies.