Gingerbread Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe

Ingredients

1 x Gingerbread Gift Jar (see link in recipe)
150g salted butter, chilled
1 medium egg
100g golden syrup
1-2 tbsp milk
Flour, for dusting
250g icing sugar
40g liquid egg white
½ tsp lemon juice
100g salted pistachios
100g dried cranberries

Prep: 1 hr + chilling | Cook: 20-25 mins

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Method

1. Tip the contents of the Gingerbread Gift Jar into a large mixing bowl. Dice the cold butter, then add it to the bowl. Rub it in your fingertips to make a sandy, breadcrumb mixture.

2. Crack the egg into a separate bowl and whisk with a fork to break it up. Add the golden syrup to the egg and beat together, then scrape them into the dry ingredients. Use a fork to stir them together to start to create a soft dough. Use your hands to gently squeeze the dough together. If it's still a bit dry add 1-2 tbsp milk to help moisten it.

3. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and gently knead into a round. Wrap in beeswax paper and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, but ideally overnight.

4. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Roll out 1/3 of the dough till it's ½cm thick. Cut out 3 stars that are 25cm across. Carefully transfer them to the baking tray and bake for 12 mins till golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to chill.

5. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut out 3 x 20cm stars, 3 x 15cm, 3 x 10cm stars and 3 x 5cm stars, rerolling the dough as necessary. When the large stars have baked and are on the wire rack, place the other stars on the baking tray and bake for 10 mins till golden brown (check after 8 mins, in case they are ready). Transfer to the wire rack to cool completely.

6. Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the egg white and lemon juice. Whisk with an electric whisk on a low setting for 2-3 mins till the icing is thick and smooth and forms stiff peaks. If it's a little dry or crumbly, add 1-2 tsp water and whisk till you get the consistency you want. If it seems wet, add 1-2 tbsp extra icing sugar. Set aside.

7. Shell the pistachios and roughly chop them. Roughly chop the dried cranberries.

8. Spoon the icing into a piping bag and pipe a line of icing around the edge of each star. Dot with the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries to decorate.

9. Place 1 large star on a serving plate. Add a few dots of icing to the middle of the star, then lay the second large star on top. Repeat, stacking the stars in height order, till you have a Christmas tree shape. With the smallest stars, lay one on top, then use a few dots of icing to secure the final star upright. Leave to set for 2-3 hrs.

10. The Gingerbread Cookie Christmas Tree is best eaten on the day it's assembled. If it's not all eaten, break the tree into separate cookies and store in an airtight tub for 2-3 days.