Gingerbread house recipe

Gingerbread house recipe Ingredients: 175g dark brown sugar 85g golden syrup 350g plain flour 1 tsp bicarb of soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional) 1 tbsp ground ginger 100g butter 1 beaten egg Ready-made royal icing Selection of sweets, smarties, chocolate buttons or your choice of edible embellishments Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) 400°F, Gas Mark 6 1. Grease or line with baking parchment two baking trays. 2. Melt the sugar, butter and syrup in a saucepan. While it is cooling, combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, add the warm liquids and stir together. Knead the mixture in the bowl until it is smooth and well blended. 3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to around 1cm thickness. Using festive cutter shapes, cut out the shapes for your gingerbread biscuits. If you are making a house, use a knife to cut out the shapes of the walls and roof. Re-roll any surplus and create more shapes until the dough is all used. 4. Using a slice, gently lift the biscuit shapes onto the baking trays and bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, turning half way through. Leave them to cool on a wire rack. 5. Once they are cold and crisp, decorate the biscuits with ready made icing, and use the icing to glue together the sides and roof of gingerbread house sections. Decorate your gingerbread house with piped icing, sweets and chocolate buttons. 6. Place your gingerbread house in a spot for all to admire the creation - then see how long you can last before you have to start eating it!