Gingerbread House Biscuit Magic

Ginger Biscuits

1. In a large bowl, cream 250 g butter with 1 cup brown sugar until it looks fluffy. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just nicely blended.
2. Add 1 jumbo egg, 1 1/4 cups golden syrup, and 1 tsp vanilla essence. Mix until smooth.
3. In another bowl, whisk together 5 1/2 cups of cake flour, 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 4 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves, and 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg.
4. Add the dry mix to the wet mixture. Stir well.
5. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it’s sticking, add a tablespoon or two of flour.
6. Let the dough rest for 1 hour on the counter or chill it overnight.
7. Chilling helps it keep sharp edges when cutting house pieces.
8. Give the dough a gentle knead, then roll it out to 1 cm thickness.
9. Try to keep it even so the walls bake consistently.
10. Cut out your house templates. Transfer pieces to a lined baking tray.
11. Bake at 180 °C for 16 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness.
12. For a fan-assisted oven, drop it to 160 °C. You want the edges firm and the centre baked through.
13. Let all pieces cool completely on a wire rack. They need to be fully cooled and firm before assembling.

Royal Icing

1. In a small bowl, whisk 3/4 cup water, 5 tbsp meringue powder, and 1 tsp vanilla (or lemon juice) for about 30 seconds.
2. Add a pinch of cream of tartar and whisk for another 30 seconds.
3. Pour this mixture into a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment running on low, add 1 kg icing sugar and let it mix for 10 minutes.
4. The icing should be thick and a bit fluffy, not runny.
5. Divide into bowls if you’re colouring different shades. Cover each bowl with a damp tea towel so it doesn’t form a crust.
6. Spoon icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.

Assemble Gingerbread House

1. Start by piping icing onto the edges of the wall pieces and hold them gently in place for a minute.
2. Royal icing dries quickly, but give it a bit of patience.
3. Before adding the roof, fill the inside of the house with sweets, chocolates, little toffees, or whatever fun goodies you like.
4. Add the roof pieces, pipe extra icing along the seams, and decorate as desired.
5. Let the whole thing sit for at least an hour before moving it, so everything sets firmly.
6. These biscuits bake strong but still taste lovely, so they work for building and snacking.

Note: this recipe yields 3 gingerbread houses.