For the gingerbread house cookies
250g plain flour
1 tsp bread soda (bicarbonate of soda)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
120g butter
160g Suicra rich dark brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs

For the cupcakes
120g softened butter
160g Siucra light golden sugar
3 eggs
300g plain flour
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
1½ tsp baking powder
½ lemon, zest only
50ml water
100ml milk

For the buttercream
100g softened butter
220g Siucra icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp milk

For the topping
Siucra ready roll icing
Siucra royal icing
Siucra caster sugar

To prepare the gingerbread house cookies, preheat the oven to 190 C/fan 170 C/gas 5.

Line a baking tray with parchment.

Place the flour, bread soda, cinnamon and ginger into a food processor. Add the butter and blend until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the eggs and syrup together and add just enough to form a stiff dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To shape the cookies, roll out on a clean surface lightly dusted with flour to about 0.5mm. Using a gingerbread house cookie cutter or a sharp knife, shape the cookies, transfer onto the prepared baking tray.
Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the cookie. Leave for 10 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Set aside to decorate.

To decorate the cookies, make the royal icing according to the instructions on the packaging. Spoon into a piping bag with a thin nozzle and decorate the cookies. Leave to set and store in an airtight container.
To prepare the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180 C/fan 160 C/gas 4.

Place the cupcake cases into a muffin tray.

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale. Whisk in the eggs, one by one. Fold in the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg and lemon zest. Pour in the water and enough milk to form a cake batter. Spoon the mix into the cupcake cases.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes depending on the size.  Leave to cool completely before decorating.

For the butter cream, whisk the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and milk for at least 5 minutes together until pale and fluffy.  To decorate, roll out the ready roll icing on a clean surface dusted with some icing sugar.
Using a scone cutter, the size of the cupcakes, cut 12 circles out of the ready roll. Make mini snowballs with the leftover icing. 

Spread a little butter cream onto each cupcake and place a circle of ready roll icing on top. Use the royal icing to glue the snowballs on top. Pipe a little butter cream in the centre of each cupcake and place a gingerbread house cookie again each on. Sprinkle caster sugar over.

Recipe supplied by Catherine Fulvio