Pre-heat oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Combine the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Slowly add the egg and syrup and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking powder and spices and mix thoroughly.
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Step 2
Knead the mixture together to make a smooth dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3mm and using Christmas shaped cookie cutters, cut out various shapes and sizes of your choice.
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Step 3
If you wish to hand the biscuits as Christmas tree decorations, make holes at the top of each shape with a skewer to thread ribbon through once cooked.
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Step 4
Arrange the cookies on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 10-12 minutes until pale golden. Leave to harden on the tray for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
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Step 5
To decorate the cookies, make up the icing according to pack instructions. Divide the icing between different bowls, pour a few drops of each food colouring into the icing and mix well.
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Step 6
Using a piping bag or a teaspoon, ice the cookies and decorate with coloured writing icing and silver balls.
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Step 7
Once the icing has set, thread ribbon through the holes to hang.