Women's Weekly Food

MAKING GINGERBREADDOUGHBeat butter and sugar in a small bowlwith an electric mixer until combined.Beat in egg yolk. Stir in sifted dryingredients and golden syrup to forma soft dough. Knead dough onafloured surface until smooth.MAKING ROYAL ICINGBeat egg white in a small bowlwith an electric mixer until frothy.Gradually beat in enough sifted icingsugar until mixture is of a pipingconsistency. Cover with a damp teatowel. Spoon icing into a piping bagfitted with a small plain tube.CUTTINGOUTTHEDOUGHUsing the largest star cutter, cutout24 stars. Use remaining cuttersto cut out different−sized stars,re−rolling scraps of dough asnecessary. (Flouring the cutterslightly will help prevent the doughfrom sticking to them.)``````TEMPLATE FORTHE WREATHLine two oven trays with bakingpaper. Place a25cm plate on anextra piece of baking paper, tracingaround it to mark a25cm round.Repeat on a second extra piece ofpaper. Turn the paper over so themarked side faces down.``````CHECKING FORDONENESSBake large and medium−sizedgingerbread stars for 15 minutes andsmaller stars for 12minutes, or untila light golden colour, and a spatulacan easily slideunderneath. Placetrays on a wire rack and leave starsto cool on trays.``````ASSEMBLINGTHE WREATHArrange half the larger stars in acircle on each of the traced rounds,slightly overlapping, and “glueing”them to one another with royal icing.Top with medium, small and smalleststars, securing them in place withicing to complete the two wreaths.Deck The Halls Baking