The Heart of Our Tradition: Our gingerbread tradition goes beyond just a delicious treat; it's a testament to the joy of family and the spirit of giving. As our boys grow older, we've expanded our festive traditions to include making handmade gifts for their classmates. It's a heartwarming way to share the holiday spirit and create connections with friends.

The Three-Day Gingerbread Adventure: Our gingerbread-making process unfolds over three magical days, turning a simple recipe into a festive extravaganza.

🎄 Day One - Make the Dough: Gather your ingredients and start the journey by making the gingerbread dough. This is where the enchantment begins, as the kitchen fills with the warm scent of spices and the excitement of creating something special for the holidays.

🎄 Day Two - Cut the Shapes and Bake: On the second day, the dough transforms into charming shapes that will soon grace your holiday table. Watch as the gingerbread cookies bake to perfection, filling your home with the unmistakable aroma of Christmas.

🎄 Day Three - Decorate!: The grand finale! Gather the family around to unleash creativity and decorate the cooled gingerbread cookies. It's a festive affair filled with laughter, sprinkles, and colorful icing – a perfect way to bond and create edible works of art.

Ingredients

• 125g butter, at room temperature
• 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
• 1 egg, separated
• 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• Plain flour, to dust
• 150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
• Smarties and hundreds and thousands, to decorate

Method

• Step 1 - Set oven to 180°C. Line baking trays with backing paper or lightly grease.
• Step 2 - Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda.
• Step 3 - Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
• Step 4 - Meanwhile, place egg white in a clean, dry bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
• Step 5 - Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use a 9cm gingerbread man cutter or any other shape cutter to cut out shapes. Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.
• Step 6 - Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Allow to cool on rack.
• Step 7 - Place prepared icings in small plastic bags. Cut a small hole in a corner of each bag. Pipe icing over gingerbread men to decorate. Finish with Smarties and hundreds and thousands.
• Step 8 – Enjoy!