Gingerbread wreath

Put the sugar, butter, golden syrup and treacle in a pan and melt gently over a medium heat, stirring until fully combined. Bring up to a gentle simmer and let the mixture bubble for 1-2 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 mins.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices together into a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter mixture and mix to form a smooth dough, making sure the colour is even, avoiding over handling. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 200?/180? fan/gas 6. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and then roll out the chilled dough until it is about the thickness of a pound coin.

Use a small round plate, approx. 23cm in diameter as a template to cut a circle of pastry. Carefully transfer onto a lined baking tray. Use a small side plate approx. 16cm in diameter to cut another circle from the middle to form a ring.

Use the remaining dough to cut 3 different sizes of stars to cover your wreath, rerolling any scraps until all the dough is used. Use a fish slice to transfer the shapes to the lined baking trays and bake for 9-10 mins. Allow the biscuits to cool fully on the trays.

To decorate, mix the icing sugar with 1-2tbsp hot water, adding the final tbsp of water a drop at a time, until it makes a thick paste - you may not need it all. Fill a piping bag or alternatively, you can add the icing to a resealable food bag, twist the top and snip a small hole in the corner. Decorate the gingerbread biscuits however you like, then leave the icing to dry.

To assemble your wreath, pipe a little icing on the back of each biscuit before sticking onto the main biscuit ring.