Cinnamon Cookie Christmas Wreath
Makes one 24cms/9.5 inch diameter wreath with 7cm/2.8inch stars
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65g butter, at room temperature
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50g (1/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
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65ml (1/4 cup) golden syrup
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1 egg, separated
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1.5 to 2 cups plain flour
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
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1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
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Plain flour, to roll
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150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
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1 teaspoons lemon juice
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Dessicated coconut to decorate plus little bows or other Christmassy looking items, silver cachous
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Star cutters or snowflake cutter
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Blu tack or tape to secure it to the door
Step 1 - Line a baking tray with baking paper. Draw an 18cm circle on the baking parchment. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use flour dipped cutters to to cut out shapes (dip in a bowl of flour between each cut). Place stars around the circle joining them up by pressing down gently. Repeat and reroll any excess dough.
Step 4 - Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until brown-you don't want these too soft. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool. They may fall apart slightly at the join but that's ok, we have royal icing to glue them back together.
Step 5 - Make the royal icing by sifting icing sugar into a bowl and stirring in the egg white and lemon juice until you get an icing that holds a line. I sometimes have to add more icing sugar or a few drops of water to get the right consistency and I draw a line in the bowl with the icing and if it stays after 30 minutes or so, then it is ready to pipe patterns.
Step 6 - Cut out a circle in cardboard to fit the circle of cookies and cut out the centre. Place the icing in a rolled up cone of baking paper or in a piping bag. "Glue" the stars together and onto the cardboard. Then pipe patterns onto the stars so that they resemble snowflakes (or whatever patterns you would like). Add a silver cachou in the centre and affix any decorations you have with royal icing. Then pipe royal icing on top of the cardboard that shows and then sprinkle desiccated coconut on top of this to resemble snow. Allow to set overnight and hang up with a ribbon securing the cardboard to the door with blu tack or sticky tape.