Chocolate Gingerbread Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4. Melt the margarine and sugar, then stir in the condensed milk. Mix the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the syrupy mixture. Bring the dough together with a spoon first, then kneed with clean hands. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 5mm (¼") thickness. Cut shapes out of your choosing! Make a small hole in the top of each shape to hang the biscuit (you can use a pointed chopstick or skewer to make an even hole). Bake for 10 minutes on parchment lined baking sheets. Cool the biscuits on a rack, and check the hanging holes are still open.

Tip: Hang the biscuits on Christmas day, as they go soft if not kept in an airtight container for more than a couple of days.