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Gingerbread terrarium jar

Course DIY
Keyword christmas jar crafts, edible decor, gingerbread house, holiday baking
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Tiny gingerbread houses and trees set in a jar of snowy sugar. An edible holiday scene to give or display.

What You’ll Need

  • 125g butter at room temperature
  • 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
  • 1 egg separated
  • 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • Plain flour to dust
  • 150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar sifted
  • Green gel food colouring
  • Edible snow sugar
  • Jar with at least a 10cm opening
  • Cookie cutter sheet (tree cutter)

Directions

  • Heat the oven to 180C.
  • Beat the butter and brown sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the golden syrup and egg yolk. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
  • Put one third of the dough to one side.
  • Shape the other two thirds into a disc, wrap it, and chill it for 30 minutes.
  • Put on gloves and knead 2-3 drops of green gel food colouring into the saved third on baking paper until it is evenly green. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Print the mini house template on A4 paper. Trace each shape onto baking paper and cut it out.
  • Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper until it is about 5mm thick.
  • Use the template to cut mini house shapes from the brown dough, and cut trees from the green dough with a tree cutter.
  • Bake on a tray for 6-7 minutes at 180C. Move to a cooling rack.
  • In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg white until it forms soft peaks. Beat in the icing sugar a little at a time until stiff peaks form.
  • Pipe the icing through a small round nozzle to decorate the house pieces and trees. Leave to set.
  • Put each house together: join the side walls to the front and back walls, let them set, then add the roof.
  • Fill the jar with snow sugar and arrange the houses and trees inside. Dust with more snow sugar. Add lights and ribbon if you like.

Notes

Wear gloves for the gel colouring. Food safety: royal icing uses raw egg white (pasteurized egg white is the safer swap if anyone will eat it); allergens: wheat, egg, dairy. If adding lights, battery fairy lights only.