The kids will never be bored again! Ask them to join in with this fun recipe.

Ingredients:

125g margarine or unsalted butter

Icing:

1 egg white

1 ¼ cup (310 ml) icing sugar

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) lemon juice

Assorted food colouring

Currants, cherries, sprinkles etc for decoration

Extra flour

• Preheat oven: 180^oC. Prepare baking trays with cooking spray or butter.
• Beat margarine, sugar and syrup until light and creamy. Slowly add egg and beat thoroughly.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Sift dry ingredients on top of it. Mix lightly with a wooden spoon, then knead into soft dough, adding more flour as necessary.
• Line a chopping board with wax paper, and roll out the dough on the board to a thickness of 5mm. Refrigerate for minimum 15 minutes, so dough is firm enough to cut.
• Cut out shapes and lift carefully onto baking tray. Place currants for eyes and cherry-pieces for mouths, or leave until after baking.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool.
• Icing: beat egg white in a glass bowl until foamy. Slowly add lemon juice and icing sugar; beat until thick and creamy.
• Divide icing and add food colouring. Spoon in piping bags. Decorate men.

1. Use more sugar in recipe if you prefer crispier gingerbread men.