Recipe:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 cup syrup
1 egg
1 tbsp vinegar
2 1/2 cups flour

Beat butter and sugar together. Add BP, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves. Mix well. Add syrup, egg and vinegar. Lastly add flour - may need to add a little extra flour if dough too sticky.

Icing:

Egg white
Icing sugar

Add sifted icing sugar till consistency of toothpaste.

Step 1: Pattern

Cut out pattern

Step 2:

Roll out dough. Place pattern pieces on the dough, cut out. Place on greaseproof paper on baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes in oven 350 degrees.

Step 3:

Once the gingerbread has been baked and cooled, dust any flour residue from the underneath. Very important to do this step because the icing will not stick to the surface if flour present.

Step 4:

Once the pieces have been baked and dusted place the pattern pieces on top and trim any excess. The pieces rise in the oven due to raising agents.

Step 5:

Place a liberal amount of icing on the 9 x 7,7cm shape

Step 6:

Now attach the the pointed sides of the house, then the other 9 x 7,7 piece.

Step 7:

Now all four sides are joined, gently secure them all by cupping tour hands round the house.

Step 8:

Tidy up any oozing icing

Step 9:

Now put generous amounts of icing all around the top edges of the house.

Step 10:

Decorate the two roof pieces on your flat working surface then attach onto your house. Then add more icing down the centre of the roof. Add chimneys etc. Place it on a silver board. Continue decorating the house plus the surrounds ie the garden.