Gingerbread biscuits

This recipe creates lots of biscuits, but they keep well and also make tasty home-made gifts for friends and family.

Hands-on time about 1hr, plus chilling, cooling and setting. Cooking time about 20min. Makes about 50 biscuits

✺ 225g unsalted butter, chopped ✺ 150ml golden syrup ✺ 175g light brown muscovado sugar ✺ 500g plain flour, plus extra to dust ✺ 2tsp ground ginger ✺ 2tsp ground cinnamon ✺ 1tsp ground cloves ✺ 1tsp baking powder ✺ 1 medium egg, beaten

TO DECORATE

✺ 250g icing sugar, sifted ✺ Edible silver balls

1 In a medium pan over a low heat, melt the butter, syrup and brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, spices, baking powder and ½tsp salt.

2 Beat the egg into the cooled syrup mixture, then mix the wet mixture in with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Divide the mixture in half and wrap each portion in clingfilm. Chill for at least 4hr, or overnight, or follow freezing instructions (below right).

3 Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Line 3 large baking sheets with baking parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 dough portion to 5mm thickness. Use festive cookie cutters to stamp out biscuits, then space 2cm apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 8-10min until golden. Cool for 5min on sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining portion of dough to make second batch.

4 Mix the icing sugar with 2tbsp hot water to make a thick icing. Scrape into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle (or just snip the end off a disposable piping bag). Pipe patterns on to the biscuits and decorate with silver balls. Leave to set. PER SERVING 114cals, 1g protein, 4g fat (2g saturates), 18g carbs (11g total sugars), <1g fibre FREEZE AHEAD At the end of step 2, freeze unbaked dough, wrapped, for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and complete recipe.