Festive Gingerbread Ornaments

1. Melt the Magic

In a small saucepan, gently heat the butter, golden syrup, and muscovado sugar, stirring occasionally until melted and combined. Allow the mixture to cool slightly off the heat.

2. Dry Ingredient Medley

In a large bowl, whisk together the bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and plain flour.

3. Dough Formation

Pour the cooled buttery syrup into the dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Knead with your hands to form a soft dough. If it's too dry, add milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it comes together. The dough will be soft, but don't worry—it will firm up after chilling.

4. Chill Out

Place the dough between two sheets of baking parchment, shaping it into a rectangle. Roll out to a 1/2 cm thickness and transfer the dough—still sandwiched between parchment—to a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.

5. Preheat and Prepare

Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan-assisted or gas mark 5) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Shape the Season

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and use a cookie cutter to press out shapes. For a festive touch, use a 9cm star cutter. If you're planning to hang them, cut a smaller star in the center of some to thread ribbon through later.

7. Bake to Perfection

Arrange the cut shapes on the prepared baking sheet, spaced apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, adjusting time as needed depending on size. Once baked to a golden brown, let them cool on the sheet.

8. Icing Intricacies

In a small bowl, mix icing sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of water until you have a thick, pipeable consistency. Decorate the completely cooled gingerbread with the icing using a piping bag fitted with a thin nozzle.