Description
This delightful Gingerbread Christmas Tree recipe features spiced gingerbread stars baked to crisp perfection, assembled into a festive tree shape using royal icing. The gingerbread dough is flavored with warm spices like ginger, mixed spice, and cloves, then cut into various star sizes and baked. The stars are decorated with lemon-flavored royal icing and silver cachous, creating a charming holiday centerpiece that’s both edible and visually stunning.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
- 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
- 50g butter
- 340g (2 1/4 cups) plain flour
- 75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
Icing and Decoration
- 330g packet royal icing
- 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice, strained
- Silver cachous, to decorate
Instructions
- Make the sugar mixture: Place the brown sugar, golden syrup, and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook while stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, combine the plain flour, self-raising flour, ground ginger, mixed spice, ground cloves, and bicarbonate of soda. Add the cooled sugar mixture and the lightly whisked egg. Stir everything together until a dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into two portions, form each into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven and cut shapes: Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan forced). Line three large baking trays with baking paper. Roll out one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface or sheet of baking paper to 3mm thickness. Using star-shaped cutters, cut out the following shapes: four 2cm stars, six 4cm stars, six 6cm stars, six 8cm stars, six 10cm stars, and six 12cm stars. Use the second portion of dough as needed for additional shapes. Carefully cut out a hole in the center of each star using a 1cm plain piping nozzle tip. Place the stars on the prepared trays.
- Bake the stars: Bake the stars in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until they become light golden and crispy. Remove from oven and let the stars cool completely on the trays.
- Prepare the icing: Place the royal icing in a large bowl. Add the strained lemon juice. Whisk the mixture vigorously with a balloon whisk for 3-5 minutes until the icing is thick and has doubled in volume. If the icing becomes too stiff or difficult to pipe, add a little hot water and whisk again to achieve a smooth, pipeable consistency. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a 1-2mm plain nozzle.
- Decorate the stars: Pipe icing onto the points of each star for decoration. Set the decorated stars aside for 3-4 hours or until the icing has fully set.
- Assemble the gingerbread tree: To build the tree, thread the largest 12cm stars onto a plastic dowel rod, securing each layer with royal icing and slightly rotating them to give dimension. Continue threading the stars in decreasing size order—10cm, 8cm, 6cm, 4cm, and finally the 2cm star—gluing each layer with icing. Finish by piping extra icing on the stars to simulate snow and decorate with silver cachous. Allow the assembled tree to set completely before display.
Notes
- Make sure to chill the dough well to prevent the stars from spreading during baking.
- If the dough becomes too sticky, add a little flour while rolling out to achieve the correct thickness.
- Use a plastic dowel rod or sturdy skewer to support the tree structure securely.
- The decorated stars can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week before assembly.
- For a gluten-free alternative, swap the flours with a suitable gluten-free blend with similar properties.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 12 slices from the assembled tree)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
