GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS TREE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 deg Celsius.
• sift flour, baking powder and soda, spices and a pinch of salt into a bowl.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add honey and egg. Beat until combined.
• On low speed, beat in sifted dry ingredients until mixture comes together.
• Divide the dough in half. Wrap separately in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Trace 19 cm, 15 cm, 10 cm, 7.5 cm and 4.5 cm stars on to cardboard and cut out. For the 2 smaller sizes cutters may able to used.
• Roll out dough halves until 4 mm thick. Using star templates and 7.5 cm cutter, cut out 3 stars of each size from dough. Using the 4.5 cm star, cut out as many stars as possible from the remaining dough.
• Place same sized stars together, 3 cm apart, on baking paper-lined oven trays. Bake larger stars for 8-10 minutes; smaller stars for 5-7 minutes or until deep golden. Stand biscuits for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
• Place eggwhite in a bowl. Stir in icing sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until combined.
• Stack the largest stars at offset angles, placing 2-3, 4.5 cm stars in between. Glue each layer with icing.
• Continue stacking in decreasing size until all 7.5 cm stars are used. Finish with one 4.5 cm star flat and a second one upright. Use icing as 'glue' to decorate tree with cachous.
• Tie up remaining small stars to look like gifts. Leave tree to set for one hour. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, molasses and vinegar; mix well. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and chill overnight., To prepare star pattern: Trace each star size onto waxed paper and cut out. If you would like to preserve the patterns, copy them, cover both sides with Contact paper and cut out. On a lightly floured surface, roll a portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness; keep rest refrigerated., To cut out stars: Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut around star patterns. You will need a total of 33 cookies--two treetop stars; three each of stars 1-4 and 9; and four each of stars 5-8. Place 12 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press a red-hot candy into the center of each treetop star; press red hot candies into points of the rest of the stars. In one number 9 star, make two indentations as shown on the pattern (to hold the treetop stars in place)., To bake: Place all cookies in a 350° oven and bake until lightly browned on the edges; 5 minutes for treetop stars; 8-10 minutes for numbers 6-9; 11-12 minutes for numbers 1-5. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool completely., To assemble: Starting with star number 1, stack stars on the serving plate, staggering star points. For a natural-looking tree as shown in the photo at left, the sizes are alternated in the following order: 1-1-2-1-2-3-2-3-4-5-4-5-5-6-5-6-6-7-6-7-7-8-7-8-8-9-8-9-9 ( with indentations). Place the two tree top stars in the indentations, leaning back to back. Dust tree with confectioners' sugar if desired. To serve, pass the entire tree.