Ginger Harrys

INGREDIENTS:

100g (4oz) butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
350g self-raising flour
1-2 tsp ground ginger
100g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten

To decorate:
yellow fondant icing
red fondant icing
black writing icing (or make glacé icing)
apricot jam

You will also need a gingerbread-man cutter

Cost:
8p each (£1.90 for 24)

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

2. Melt the butter and syrup together in a saucepan over a gentle heat.

3. Place flour, ginger and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and syrup, stir in slightly and then add the egg.

4. Knead until smooth and then leave for 15 minutes to cool.

5. Roll out to a thickness of 6mm and cut out your Ginger Harrys.

6. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and cook in the centre of the oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden. Remove and leave to cool.

7. To make the red and yellow striped jumpers: Dust your worktop and rolling pin with icing sugar and roll both fondants into rectangles about 3mm thick. Using the cutter, cut out 12 jumper shapes (from the neck to the waist) in each colour. Any scraps can be kneaded into a ball and re-rolled.

8. Place a red and yellow fondant jumper on top of each other, cut off the arms and then cut the trunk into three horizontally.

9. Taking two biscuits at a time, spread a very thin amount of jam on the arms and trunk.

10. Starting at the neck, place a red stripe on one biscuit and yellow on the other. Alternate the stripes, using red arms on the biscuit with two yellow stripes and vice versa. Repeat for the other biscuits.

11. Using black writing icing, pipe on the eyes (or a pair of spectacles if you think you're up to it).

Cook's Tip: If the cuttings are difficult to roll out a second time, warm them in the microwave for about 10 seconds, knead them into a ball and try again.