Sweets and Treats

Delicious gingerbread men for Christmas or any special time of the year.

Preheat oven to 180 degress. Brush or spray 2 baking trays to grease.

Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Sift the flour and McKenzie's Bi-Carb Soda and stir into mixture with McKenzie's Ground Ginger, McKenzie's Mixed Spice and McKenzie's Ground Cinnamon. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc shape, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Meanwhile, place egg white in a clean dry bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sifted icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Divide icing evenly into 3 bowls. Add red colouring to 1 bowl and stir until combined, add green colouring to 1 bowl and stir until combined, leave one bowl white. Cover all bowls with plastic wrap and a damp cloth to prevent from drying out.

Place the refrigerated dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll out until 4mm thick. Using a 9cm gingerbread cutter or Christmas shapes eg. stars etc. cut shapes out. Place on tray 3cm apart and repeat process with any excess dough.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven and skewer a hole in the top of each shape if you are going to hang from the Christmas tree. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Place prepared icing in small plastic bags. Cut a small hole in a corner of each bag. Pipe icing over gingerbread men or shapes to decorate. Finish with ribbon if you are hanging on the tree.