Gingerbread Folk

Gingerbread folk Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until combined.

Beat in the treacle and egg yolk.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in the sifted dry ingredients.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Enclose in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced).

Grease and line two oven trays with baking paper.

Roll each dough half between sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick.

Using a 13cm gingerbread man cutter, cut out 12 gingerbread folk, re-rolling scraps as necessary.

Place shapes, about 2.5cm apart, on trays.

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Stand on trays for 10 minutes, before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, to make royal icing, beat egg white in a small bowl with an electric mixer until just broken up.

Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar until firm peaks form; stir in the juice. Keep icing covered with plastic wrap on the surface to prevent drying out.

Spoon icing into a small piping bag fitted with a small plain tube (or a small plastic bag with one corner snipped off).

Using the picture as a guide, decorate the gingerbread folk with piped royal icing.