Gingerbread men
MAKES ABOUT 30 PREP AND COOK TIME
1 HOUR 30 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION TIME)
125g butter, softened
½ cup (125ml) golden syrup
½ cup (110g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2½ cups (375g) plain flour, plus extra to dust
1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
ROYAL ICING
1 egg white
1½ cups (240g) pure icing sugar
1 Beat butter, syrup and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and paler in colour. Add egg yolk; beat until just combined. Add combined sifted flour and spices; stir until mixture just comes together.
2 Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth; divide into two pieces. Cover each with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease oven trays; line with baking paper.
4 Roll out each batch of dough between baking paper until 3mm thick; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Using a gingerbread-man cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Re-roll leftover dough to re-cut.
5 Bake Gingerbread Men for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Stand cookies on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.
6 ROYAL ICING Beat the egg white in a small bowl with an electric mixer until frothy; gradually beat in enough sifted icing sugar to give a piping consistency.
7 Fill a small disposable piping bag with Royal Icing. Cut a small hole from the tip of the bag. Pipe icing onto biscuits outlining figures and creating faces. Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.