Gingerbread heroes

STEP 1

Combine the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 mins or until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. Set aside for 30 mins to cool.

STEP 2

Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Whisk in the egg. Stir in flour, ginger and mixed spice. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 mins or until firm.

STEP 3

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Use a 10cm pastry cutter to cut out gingerbread people. Place on lined trays. Bake, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 12-15 mins or until gingerbread is light golden. Set aside on the trays to cool.

STEP 4

To make royal icing, whisk egg white and lemon juice in a bowl. Gradually add icing sugar, stirring after each addition, until smooth, adding more icing sugar if necessary to make a thick paste.

STEP 5

Transfer one-quarter of the royal icing to a piping bag fitted with a 1mm plain nozzle. Cover surface of reserved icing with plastic wrap. Pipe eyes and face masks on each biscuit. Pipe outline of lab coats on one-third of the biscuits. Place remaining icing from the piping bag in a small bowl. Add enough extra egg white and lemon juice to make a runny paste. Spoon icing into the centre of the lab coats and use the back of the spoon to spread to the border. Set aside to set.

STEP 6

Place half the reserved icing in a small bowl. Tint with teal food colouring. Transfer half the teal icing to a clean piping bag fitted with a 1mm plain nozzle. Pipe outline of scrubs over half the remaining biscuits, reserving the remaining teal icing in the bag. Add enough extra egg white and lemon juice to the remaining teal icing in the bowl to make a runny paste. Spoon icing into the centre of the scrubs. Use the back of a spoon to spread to the border. Set aside to set.

STEP 7

Divide remaining icing into 2 even portions. Tint 1 portion yellow and the remaining portion red with food colouring. Place in separate piping bags fitted with 1mm plain nozzles. Pipe surf lifesaver caps and swimming costumes on the remaining biscuits. Pipe yellow headlights and teal crosses on biscuits with lab coats. Set aside to set. 

*An egg white is considered to be a raw egg. We recommend that pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems do not consume raw egg.