A Shetland Gingerbread Crofthouse with Templates

Ingredients

• 600 grams plain flour
• 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 250 grams treacle
• 125 grams Shetland Dairies butter
• 2 Shetland eggs
• 250 grams caster sugar
• 500 grams icing sugar
• 2 Shetland egg whites

Method

1. Combine the flour, spices and baking soda in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the egg and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Melt the treacle and butter together and allow to cool slightly. Add the treacle and egg mixtures to the dry ingredients and work well with a wooden spoon until combined into a soft dough.
4. Pop the bowl of dough in the fridge for an hour or so to chill, and then divide it into three even-sized discs. Wrap in each disc in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 180 C fan/ 390 F.
6. Roll out each disc of dough on a sheet of good quality non-stick baking paper using a lightly floured rolling pin.
7. Cut out your gingerbread house pieces, and remove the excess dough around them.
8. Transfer the baking paper with the cut-out pieces (leaving the gingerbread untouched) to a baking sheet and bake in the centre of the oven for 12 minutes.
9. Leave to cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. To make the icing, combine the icing sugar with the egg white. Transfer to a piping bag and decorate each of the components of the gingerbread house as desired.
11. Leave your decorated components overnight to harden before assembling.