Gingerbread houses

PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS (+ REFRIGERATION & STANDING) MAKES 8

125g butter, softened

½ cup (175g) golden syrup (or treacle) ½ cup (110g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

2½ cups (335g) gluten-free plain flour 1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon xanthan gum gluten-free icing sugar, for dusting ROYAL ICING

1½ cups (240g) gluten-free icing sugar 1 egg white

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 For the templates, cut out the 3 different shapes using firm cardboard (see instructions on opposite page).

2 Beat butter, golden syrup and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and pale in colour. Add combined sifted flour, spices and xanthan gum; stir until mixture just comes together. Knead dough gently on a surface lightly dusted with gluten-free flour until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

3 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease two oven trays; line with baking paper.

4 To make side walls: roll one-third of the dough on a surface dusted with gluten-free flour until 3mm thick. Using wall template, cut out 16 squares; place 3cm apart on trays.

5 Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Slide baking paper and gingerbread walls from trays onto a wire rack to cool. Cool trays, then re-line with baking paper.

6 To make front and back walls: repeat rolling with half the remaining dough. Using end wall template, cut out 16 walls; place 3cm apart on trays. Bake as per instructions in step 5.

7 To make roofs: repeat rolling with remaining dough. Using the roof template, cut out 16 rectangles; place 3cm apart on trays. Bake as per the instructions in step 5.

8 Make royal icing. Fill piping bag fitted with a fine piping nozzle.

Pipe icing onto sides of shapes, attaching side walls with front and back walls to make a house (hold in place for a few minutes to stabilise, if necessary). Pipe along the top edge with a little icing; position roof (hold in position, if necessary). Repeat with remaining pieces to make a total of 8 houses. Stand for 30 minutes or until icing is set.

9 Using picture as a guide, decorate houses with royal icing. Stand for 30 minutes or until set. Dust with icing sugar.

ROYAL ICING

Sift icing sugar through a fine sieve into a bowl. Lightly beat egg white in a small bowl with an electric mixer until it is just broken up – do not whip into peaks. Beat in the icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, to reach the required consistency. When icing reaches the right consistency, stir in juice. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap until ready to use.