Ingredients

100g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup golden syrup
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Decorating

pkt jelly raspberries for the nose (I like to use jaffas)
milk chocolate melts, melted (face of the reindeer)
white chocolate melts (whites of the eyes)
dark chocolate chips (for the pupils, I like to put the pupils in different places to change their expressions)

Method

1. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add golden syrup and egg yolk. Beat until just combined.
2. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour, soda and ginger into butter mixture until it just comes together to form a dough.
3. Sprinkle a little flour on the bench to stop the dough from sticking. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on the floured bench. Using the heel of your hand, kneed the dough until smooth. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 30mins.
4. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 1cm thick.
5. Using a 9.5cm gingerbread man cutter, cut out shapes. Place the shapes, 4cm apart, on 2 large oven trays lined with baking paper. Re-roll left over dough scraps until you can cut out 12 gingerbread men.
6. Cook the gingerbread men in a moderate oven (180c) for about 15 mins or until biscuits are lightly golden and firm to touch. Transfer the biscuits to wire racks and leave until they are cold.
7. Decorate with a melted milk chocolate face, white chocolate melt and dark chocolate chip eyes and a jaffa/raspberry nose.