Gingerbread houses are deceptively simple to make and are so creative. Make one as a centrepiece for your festive table or really go to town and serve it on top of a showstopping cake!
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter
100g dark muscovado sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 large egg white
250g sifted icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6.
2. In a pan, melt butter, dark muscovado sugar and golden syrup.
3. Mix plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger in a big bowl. Pour over the butter mixture and stir to a stiff dough.
4. Roll out on baking paper to 3mm thick. Cut out 6 pieces in the following sizes, as in the picture, above:
• 2 x 7.5cm x 3.5cm rectangles
• 2 x 6.5cm x 3.5cm rectangles, each topped with a 6.5cm-high triangle
• 2 x 10cm x 8cm rectangles (roof)
5. Space out on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until just firm, then allow to cool for a couple of minutes before trimming again. Cool completely before assembling.
6. Mix 1 large egg white with sifted icing sugar to make a smooth, thick icing. Fill a piping bag and pipe generous lines to join the four walls together. Allow to dry before adding the roof. Dry completely before decorating as you like.
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