Gingerbread biscuits

Preparation Time

60 - 120 minutes

Cooking Time

10 minutes

Makes

62

Ingredients

• Melted butter, to grease
• 250g butter, at room temperature
• 200g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 250ml (1 cup) golden syrup
• 2 egg yolks
• 750g (5 cups) plain flour, sifted
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted
• 1 1/2 tbs ground ginger
• 1 x 500g pkt white fondant icing (Orchard brand)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with the melted butter to lightly grease.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar, golden syrup and egg yolks together in a bowl until combined. Add flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger. Use your hands to combine until a firm dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
3. Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll out one portion until 3-4mm thick. Repeat with remaining portions. Use a 7cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut out 42 biscuits. Use a 4cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut a hole, just off-centre, in each biscuit. Use a 7cm-long teardrop pastry cutter to cut out 20 biscuits. Use a skewer to punch a small hole in the widest end of each teardrop biscuit. Place biscuits, about 1cm apart, on the prepared trays. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven and set aside, on trays, for 1 hour or until cooled completely.
4. Knead fondant icing on a surface dusted with icing sugar until smooth. Use a rolling pin dusted with icing sugar to roll out to about 2mm thick. Use previous pastry cutters to cut out icing shapes to correspond with biscuits. Lightly brush each icing shape with water and place on a corresponding biscuit, smoothing with your fingers.