Gingerbread House

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.
Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice, and bicarbonate of soda.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into 2 or discs. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
Place the dough between sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use a cutter to cut out shapes.
Lift away the excess, and place paper with gingerbread shapes directly on trays. Repeat with any excess dough on new baking paper.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Cover with foil and bake for another 5 minutes. This is to ensure the wall and roof panels are firm and stiff when cooled making them easier to assemble. Remove from oven.

TIP: While the dough is soft trim edges straight. This will help with assembly later. Transfer to a rack to cool.
TIP: After cooling, if the gingerbread panels are too soft, put them back in the oven covered with foil for another 5 minutes to firm up.

Beat eggs whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form, gradually add icing sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until thick and white (7- 10 mins). If icing appears a little soupy, add more sugar.
Place prepared icing into an icing bag (or small plastic bag with a hole cut in the corner).
TIP: Royal icing dries out quickly. Make sure any icing not being used is covered with plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is touching the icing, so a crust doesn’t form.
Pipe icing to join pieces, build the walls first and allow to dry. Then add the roof and chimney. Panels can be decorated flat, then assembled or the gingerbread house can be decorated after assembly.
Have fun adding lollies, fake snow (coconut), chimney smoke (fairy floss), and add a fun family of gingerbread folk too.

Baking Spirits Bright with Soffritto