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Gingerbread wreath recipe

19 ratings

Create the perfect Christmas centrepiece with this delicious edible wreath made up of crunchy spiced biscuits, beautifully decorated with gorgeous red and white iced stars. See method

Serves 12
1 hr 20 mins to prepare and 40 mins to cook, plus chilling and setting
438 calories / serving
Freezable

Ingredients

100g light muscovado sugar
75g dark muscovado sugar
85g golden syrup
100g salted butter
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
3 tbsp milk
½ orange, zested

For the icing

125g red ready to roll icing
200g white ready to roll icing
200g royal icing
few drops bright red gel food colour
75g caster sugar

You will also need

1 large, 1 medium and 1 small star cutter
1 medium and 1 small snowflake cutter
2 disposable piping bags, fitted with small round piping nozzles (see tip)
red ribbon

Each serving contains

Energy
1855kj
438kcal 22%
Fat
9g 13%
Saturates
5g 27%
Sugars
67g 74%
Salt
0.4g 7%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 90.9g Protein 3.3g Fibre 1.7g

Method

To make the gingerbread, first put the sugars, syrup and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, so it puffs up. Leave to cool for 15 mins.
Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. Pour in the syrup mix. Add the milk and zest, then knead into a ball. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap and leave to soften for a few minutes.
Cut the dough in half. Wrap one half in clingfilm. Use a rolling pin to roll the other out on nonstick baking paper to a thickness of about 3mm. Using a plate as a guide, cut a 22cm circle, then cut an inner circle (about 12cm) using a small bowl or plate. Make a small hole in the ring and slide it, still on the paper, onto a baking sheet.
Unwrap the remaining dough, add it to the inner circle and roll out. Cut 20-25 shapes using the star cutters and the medium snowflake cutter. Line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper. Spread the shapes on the sheet and chill, with the gingerbread ring, for 10 mins.
Bake in batches for 10-12 mins, until golden and just firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins. Use a knife to detach from the paper. Cool on a wire rack.
To decorate, thinly roll the red and white icing on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Use the star cutters to cut different-sized shapes for the star biscuits. Trim to fit. Use the snowflake cutters to cut shapes for some of the snowflake biscuits. Cut out the centres of the larger flakes with the small cutter. Brush the backs of the shapes with water and press on the biscuits.
Add drops of water to the royal icing, until thin enough to pipe. Divide between 2 bowls. Stir red gel colour through one. Fill one piping bag with red, one with white. Outline the white stars in red. Use the white to outline the red stars and pipe snowflake designs on the remaining snowflake biscuits. Leave to dry for at least 1 hr.
Cook the caster sugar in a dry pan over a medium heat for 2 mins, or until melted and pale gold. Brush on the back of the biscuits to stick them to the ring. Thread a ribbon through the hole at the top and put it in the centre of your table.*

Tip: No piping nozzles to hand? Simply fill 2 disposable piping bags with the icing, then snip a small hole in the end of each.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

Freeze the dough only. Wrap well in clingfilm and tin foil (to prevent freezer burn) and freeze for up to 3 months. Loosen the tin foil and clingfilm and leave to defrost in packaging at room temperature, until the dough is softened, then continue with the recipe from step 4.

See more Adventurous Christmas baking recipes

*This wreath is designed as a table decoration or for eating and should not be hung.