Gingerbread christmas tree

Name: Gingerbread christmas tree
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 1 tree about 25 cm (10 inches) high
Ingredients: 125g unsalted butter; 115g (½ cup) castor sugar; 1 egg yolk; 3 tbsp honey; 250g (2 cups) plain flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 2 tsp ground ginger; mixed coloured balls (cachous); 1 egg white; 185g (1½ cups) icing sugar; 5 ice-cream cones; icing sugar, extra, for dusting

December 8, 2016

Time:30 mins - 1 hourMakes:1 tree about 25 cm (10 inches) high

A recipe from the Good Food collection.

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter
115g (½ cup) castor sugar
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp honey
250g (2 cups) plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp ground ginger
mixed coloured balls (cachous)
1 egg white
185g (1½ cups) icing sugar
5 ice-cream cones
icing sugar, extra, for dusting

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C. Brush two baking trays with melted butter or oil. Using electric beaters, beat the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until light and creamy. Add the egg yolk and honey and beat until combined.
Step 2
Add the sifted flour, soda and ginger. Press together to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper to about 3mm thick. Cut 30 Christmas tree shapes from the dough using an 8cm cutter. Cut six star shapes from the remaining dough, using a 4cm cutter. Place on the trays, allowing room to spread. Press the coloured balls onto the top of each tree and onto one point of each star. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Step 4
Using electric beaters, beat the egg white until slightly frothy. Add the sifted icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Add enough icing sugar to give a stiff spreading consistency.
Step 5
To assemble the tree, stack cones on top of each other, spreading a little icing between each to join them together. Starting with the bottom cone, spread icing thickly around it. Press the Christmas tree and star biscuits into the icing, stacking biscuits in overlapping layers around the cone. Work your way up the cones in this manner, spreading with icing as you go. Leave room at the top, and spread with icing. Press two stars, standing upright back to back, on the top. Sift the extra icing sugar over the tree.