Reindeer and gingerbread men Christmas cookies

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Combine butter, syrup and egg in a small bowl. Stir the butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Knead dough until smooth.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Roll one piece of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until about 3mm thick. Slide dough in baking paper onto a tray; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Repeat twice with remaining dough.

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line 3 large oven trays with baking paper.

Peel baking paper from top of dough, place back on dough. Turn over and remove top paper. Cut out dough with a 10cm gingerbread cutter, lift with a palette knife and place about 3cm apart on prepared trays. Knead scraps together and re-roll; repeat.

Bake, in batches, for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on trays.

Make royal icing: beat egg white in small bowl with electric mixer until foamy; beat in icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Stir in juice.

For the gingerbread men; pipe face and hands using royal icing. Attach mini red and green M&M’s for buttons.

For reindeer, turn gingerbread men upside, pipe milk chocolate for antlers, eyebrows, ears and mouth. Attach freckle to form nose. Pipe eyes using white chocolate, then pipe pupils using milk chocolate. Sprinkle antlers with edible glitter.