Fun-to-make Christmas tree biscuits

Have fun making and decorating Christmas tree biscuits which may last you through Christmas or for decorating the tree.

Ingredients

175g sugar

85g golden syrup

100g butter

Butter

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Bicarbonate of soda

1 egg

Eggs lightly beaten

To finish

100g white chocolate

Edible silver balls

Method

Heat the sugar, golden syrup and butter until melted.

Mix the spices and flour in a large bowl.

Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 1 tsp cold water.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the melted sugar mix, egg and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well.

At this stage the mix will be soft but will firm up on cooling.

Cover the surface of the biscuit mix with cling film and leave to cool, then put in the fridge for at least one hour to become firm enough to roll out.

Heat oven to 190ºC.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.

At this stage the dough can be put into a food bag and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Cut the dough in half and thinly roll out one half on a lightly floured surface.

Cut into shapes with cutters, such as gifts, trees and hearts, then transfer to baking sheets, leaving a little room for them to spread.

If you plan to hang the biscuits up, make a small hole in the top of each one using a skewer. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until they darken slightly.

If the holes you have made have closed up, remake them while the biscuits are warm and soft using a skewer.

Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool and harden up completely.

Break up the chocolate and melt in the microwave on medium for one to two minutes or in a small heatproof bowl over simmering water.

Drizzle the chocolate over the biscuits, or pipe on shapes or names, then stick a few silver balls into the chocolate.

If hung up on the tree, the biscuits will be edible for about a week, but will last a lot longer as decorations.