GINGERBREAD HOUSE

GINGERBREAD

125g butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup golden syrup
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon Hansells baking soda
1 cup milk

METHOD

1. Place butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan large enough to mix all the ingredients. Heat gently until butter melts.
2. Remove from heat. Sift flour, mixed spice, ground ginger and baking soda into saucepan and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the milk and mix until the mixture is smooth.
3. Pour into a baking paper bottom lined 9 x 19 centimetre loaf tin. Bake at 180 degrees C for 1 hour or until the gingerbread springs back when lightly touched or an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning on to a cooling rack.

ICING

4 cups icing sugar
about 5 tablespoons boiling water
Hansells Food Colouring

METHOD

Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add enough boiling water to make a spreadable icing. Place half the icing in another bowl. Colour one half with Hansells Food Colouring for the house and leave the second half white for the roof.

TO ASSEMBLE AND DECORATE

Toothpicks
Licorice
Sweets
Hansells Pinkalicious
Coconut
Your imagination!

.   Cut  top from the cake. This piece will form the roof.
.   Cut a V-shaped piece down the centre length of the cake top.
.   Cut this in half down the apex of the V. This will form the roof.
.   Use the piece cut to make the V to make a chimney if wished.
.   Cut windows and a door way into the cake if wished, using a small, sharp knife.
.   Cut a room from the inside of the cake if wished. Don't make it too big and have plenty of wall thickness so the cake does not collapse.
.   Ice the house with coloured icing of your choice. Sprinkle wit Hansells Pinkalicious 
.   Place gingerbread people or dolls house furniture inside the room before placing the roof on the house.
.   Place roof on house, securing with toothpicks as necessary.
.   Attach the chimney to the roof using toothpicks.
.   Ice roof  and chimney if using, with white icing.
.   Decorate house and roof as wished, letting your imagination take you on a fun filled journey. Use icing to secure sweets and other decorations.
.   Carefully lift the cake onto a tray or cake board. Spread any left over white icing thinly over the tray or board. Sprinkle with coconut.