Gingerbread House

Gingerbread is a warm lightly spiced cookie that can be enjoyed all year round, but it's especially popular at Christmas time. It's a dough that can easily be rolled and cut with cookie cutters or shaped with a template to create a simple gingerbread house.

This recipe includes a template you can download and print.

Ingredients:

Double the recipe for a gingerbread house.

• 760g (26 oz) flour
• 6 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 200g (6 oz) brown sugar
• 300g (10 oz) golden syrup
• 300g (10 oz) butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

 Method:

Download the template below:

• Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and beat well.
• Add the cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt. Mix together well using a spatula.
• Add the flour, and work it in until the mixture comes together in a soft dough.
• Wrap the dough in cling wrap or a silicone mat and refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
• On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to 3mm (1/8″) thickness. Cut around template shapes, cutting windows - but leaving in place.
• Arrange on a baking paper lined oven tray, and bake at 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden.
• When cold, pop out the windows and assemble with royal icing.
• Decorate with your favourite lollies or sweets.

 Royal Icing

 Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 250g (9 oz) icing sugar (approximately)
• A squeeze of lemon juice

 Method:

• Beat the egg white until stiff.
• Add the icing sugar, a little at a time, mixing well until a peak can be held.
• Mix in the lemon juice.
• Add more icing sugar if necessary, until peaks can be held again.