Gingerbread star tree

• dark muscovado sugar↗175g g
• golden syrup↗85g g
• slightly salted butter↗100g g
• plain flour↗350g g

  plus extra for dusting

• bicarbonate of soda↗1 tsp tsp
• ground ginger↗1 tbsp tbsp
• ground cinnamon↗1 tsp tsp
• egg↗1

  beaten

• royal icing sugar↗200g g
• a set of star cookie cutters

  (8-10), ranging from 12cm-2cm, or make templates from paper and cut them out yourself

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put the sugar, syrup and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then bubble for 1-2 mins, stirring. Set aside to cool for 10 mins.

2. 2

   Tip the flour, bicarb and spices into a large bowl. Add the syrup mixture and the egg, stir to bring everything together, then gently knead in the bowl until smooth. The dough will feel a little soft, but will firm up once cooled. Wrap and chill for at least 30 mins.

3. 3

   Remove the dough from the fridge and leave at room temperature until softened. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking trays with baking parchment.

4. 4

   Working with half the dough at a time (keeping the remaining dough well wrapped), roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out 10-12 stars in descending size, re-rolling the offcuts if you need to. Arrange over the trays and bake for 8 mins until a few shades darker and puffed up a little. Cool on the trays for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep, un-iced, in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

5. 5

   Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick, pipeable icing. Transfer to a piping bag and decorate. Pipe a blob of icing in the middle of each biscuit and stack them to make a tree, sticking the smallest star on top, standing upright.