Gingerbread wreath recipe

Ingredients

• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 75g dark muscovado sugar
• 85g golden syrup
• 100g salted butter
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• pinch ground cloves
• 3 tbsp milk
• ½ orange, zested

For the icing

• 125g red ready to roll icing
• 200g white ready to roll icing
• 200g royal icing
• few drops bright red gel food colour
• 75g caster sugar

You will also need

• 1 large, 1 medium and 1 small star cutter
• 1 medium and 1 small snowflake cutter
• 2 disposable piping bags, fitted with small round piping nozzles (see tip)
• red ribbon

Method

1. To make the gingerbread, first put the sugars, syrup and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, so it puffs up. Leave to cool for 15 mins.
2. Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. Pour in the syrup mix. Add the milk and zest, then knead into a ball. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for half an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap and leave to soften for a few minutes.
4. Cut the dough in half. Wrap one half in clingfilm. Use a rolling pin to roll the other out on nonstick baking paper to a thickness of about 3mm. Using a plate as a guide, cut a 22cm circle, then cut an inner circle (about 12cm) using a small bowl or plate. Make a small hole in the ring and slide it, still on the paper, onto a baking sheet.
5. Unwrap the remaining dough, add it to the inner circle and roll out. Cut 20-25 shapes using the star cutters and the medium snowflake cutter. Line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper. Spread the shapes on the sheet and chill, with the gingerbread ring, for 10 mins.
6. Bake in batches for 10-12 mins, until golden and just firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins. Use a knife to detach from the paper. Cool on a wire rack.
7. To decorate, thinly roll the red and white icing on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Use the star cutters to cut different-sized shapes for the star biscuits. Trim to fit. Use the snowflake cutters to cut shapes for some of the snowflake biscuits. Cut out the centres of the larger flakes with the small cutter. Brush the backs of the shapes with water and press on the biscuits.
8. Add drops of water to the royal icing, until thin enough to pipe. Divide between 2 bowls. Stir red gel colour through one. Fill one piping bag with red, one with white. Outline the white stars in red. Use the white to outline the red stars and pipe snowflake designs on the remaining snowflake biscuits. Leave to dry for at least 1 hr.
9. Cook the caster sugar in a dry pan over a medium heat for 2 mins, or until melted and pale gold. Brush on the back of the biscuits to stick them to the ring. Thread a ribbon through the hole at the top and put it in the centre of your table.

Read more at https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/gingerbread-wreath.html#CZtW6cwSZ27Wf6Mh.99