DOUBLE TROUBLE

GINGER DEAD TWINS

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 12) 450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting; ½tsp salt; 1tbsp ground ginger; 1 and ¾tsp ground cinnamon; ¼tsp ground cloves; 80g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 165g dark brown sugar; 1 large egg; 230g golden syrup, maple syrup or molasses; 2tsp vanilla extract. For the royal icing: 3 egg whites; 1tsp vanilla extract; 600g icing sugar, sifted. To decorate: Blue and pink food colours; cocoa powder; black edible ink pen; red edible ink pen; green edible ink pen; red powder food colour

METHOD:

1. Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Mix the butter, brown sugar and egg together in another bowl. Add the syrup and vanilla and continue to mix. Mix in the dry ingredients and combine until smooth.

3. Divide the dough in half and wrap in cling-film pressing down to create two discs. Refrigerate for three hours, or up to three days.

4. Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan and line a baking tray with baking paper.

5. Roll out the first disc of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick. Cut out six cookies by cutting around your template with a sharp knife and place on a lined baking tray. Bake for seven to 10 minutes – the longer they are in the oven, the snappier they will be, but I like them a bit soft. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Repeat with the second disc of dough to make six more cookies or freeze for another time.

6. For the royal icing, whisk the egg whites until frothy, then stir in the vanilla extract. Slowly add icing sugar, mixing until fully incorporated. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. If it is too thin, add more icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time.

7. Dye small amounts of the icing pink and blue with food colouring, and a third amount brown with the cocoa powder. Decorate each twin by outlining the dress with piped blue royal icing, then filling in the outline. Pipe the lace with white icing around the hem of the sleeves, collar and skirt. Leave to dry, then do the pink belt and buttons, and hair.

8. Pipe the eyes in white and draw the eye lashes with the black edible ink pen. Draw the mouth with the red edible ink pen and add a dust of red powder on the cheeks.

9. Leave to dry before adding the lace on the belt with white icing, the shoes with black pen, and green irises and black dots on the eyeballs.