Gingerbread People

Gingerbread Biscuit:

• 125g (4 ounces) butter 
• ½ cup (100g) firmly packed CSR Brown Sugar 
• 1 egg yolk 
• 2½ cups (375g) White Wings Plain All-Purpose Flour 
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 
• 3 tsp ground ginger 
• ½ cup (125ml) CSR golden syrup 

Royal Icing:

• 1 egg white 
• 1½ cups (240g) CSR Pure Icing Sugar, approximately
• Food colourings

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease oven trays. 
2. Beat butter, sugar and egg yolk in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in sifted dry ingredients and golden syrup to a soft dough. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Roll dough between sheets of baking paper until 3mm (⅛-inch) thick. Refrigerate 1 hour. 
3. Using a 13cm (5¼-inch) gingerbread-man cutter, cut out shapes from dough; place on trays about 3cm (1¼ inches) apart. 
4. Bake gingerbread for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on trays.
5. Meanwhile, make royal icing: Beat egg white in a small bowl with electric mixer until frothy; gradually beat in enough sifted icing sugar to give a mixture of piping consistency. Tint with colourings as desired. Keep royal icing covered with a damp tea towel to prevent icing drying out.
6. Spoon icing into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tube; decorate shapes as desired. 

Tip: 

Gingerbread men cutters are available from kitchenware shops.