Gingerbread Men

Put the sugar, syrup, treacle, water, spices and zest together in a large saucepan.

Then bring them to boiling point, stirring all the time. Now remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter (cut into lumps) and the bicarbonate of soda. Next stir in the flour gradually until you have a smooth manageable dough – add a little more flour if you think it needs it. Now leave the dough covered in a cool place to become firm (approximately 30 minutes).

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Now roll the dough out to 3mm thick on a lightly floured surface and cut out the gingerbread men. Arrange them on the baking sheets and bake near the centre of the oven, one sheet at a time, for 10–15 minutes until the biscuits feel firm when lightly pressed with a fingertip. Leave them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

To decorate, use the icing to write names or make faces.

Store in an airtight container.