Gingerbread House

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and allspice into a large bowl.
2. Over a gentle heat, stir the butter, salt, sugar and treacle together until smooth; add to the bowl and mix to a dough. Leave to cool for an hour or so.
3. On a floured surface, roll out to 5mm thick.
4. Using the templates, cut out 4 walls and 2 roof panels; cut a door out of the front wall. There should be enough dough left to make 12 gingerbread men.
5. Heat the oven to 180°C, gas 4. Space out on lined baking sheets. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the edges are darker brown than the centre.
6. Cool for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
7. Add 3–4 tbsp cold water to the royal icing sugar and whip with an electric whisk for 8 minutes, until peaks form.
8. Transfer half to a piping bag with a small nozzle and use it to stick the 4 walls of the house together.
9. Stand the house on a plate and use full tin cans to prop the walls up until the icing dries.
10. Pipe more icing along the top of the 4 walls, stick on the roof and leave to dry. Stick the door on.
11. Add a drop of extra water to the remaining icing then place in a new piping bag with a fine nozzle to add icing details to the roof and walls.

Tips

• The black treacle gives a strong flavour; you could use the Christmas star biscuit mixture instead.