The one I use came from an old magazine cutting (can't remember the magazine) that has since been lost.
It is as follows:
750g Plain Flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground cloves
0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
0.25 tsp ground cardamon
250g glucose syrup
440g castor sugar
60g butter
juice of one lemon
rind of one lemon
1 egg plus one egg yolk
Lightly grease 2 tins with butter. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices together in a large bowl. Bring glucose, sugar and butter to boil in a large heavy saucepan stirring with a wooden spoon until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice and grated rind.
Allow to cool slightly. Beat in 1/3rd of flour mixture, add eggs and then beat in rest of flour mixture.
Grease hands and divide dough into two equal portions. Knead on floured board and add more flour if necessary to make a smooth, pliable, but still slightly sticky dough. Press and roll dough as evenly as possible in tins.
Bake in oven preheated to 160 degrees celsius for about 35 minutes or until cake is firm and brown on top.
Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then, using cardboard templates where necessary as a guide (see illustration), cut gingerbread into required shapes using a pastry wheel or sharp knife. There will be gingerbread pieces left over and these may be cut into biscuits and eaten on the spot! Gingerbread must be cut while still hot. Place on racks to cool (windows and doors may be cut out if desired). Repeat process to make two more trays.
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It usually makes a tooth shatteringly hard gingerbread (sometimes some trays are not so hard) that I find very nice, especially with a bit of icing on it. I usually add some ground ginger as well, even though it isn't part of the recipe.
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