GINGERBREAD
Makes 25-30 iced biscuits
It doesn’t feel like Christmas to me until a batch or two of gingerbread has been made – one to fill the tin at home, and one to give as gifts. My kids are always keen to help decorate them – although this brings out my inner minimalist and I have to sneak some biscuits away before they all get doused in sprinkles!
BISCUITS
225g plain flour
¼ teaspoon bicarb soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground mixed spice
110g light brown sugar
125g unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ tablespoons honey
ICING
1 egg white
240g pure icing sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Place flour, bicarb soda, salt, spices and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add cubed butter and keep pulsing until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add egg and honey, and pulse until dough comes together. Use your hands to form a ball, flatten dough slightly and wrap well. Place dough in the fridge to chill for an hour or two, until firm enough to roll out.
When dough is firm, preheat oven to 160°C (fan-forced) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Remove dough from the fridge. Use a rolling pin to roll dough out between two sheets of baking paper until it is about 5mm thick. Use biscuit cutters to cut dough into desired shapes, re-rolling offcuts as necessary.
Place gingerbread biscuits on lined trays, leaving a couple of centimetres between each. Put biscuits back in the fridge until dough is firm.
Place biscuits in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes,
