Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 15 mins | Serves: 20

Ingredients

125g butter or margarine
½ cup EQUAL SPOONFUL
¼ cup golden syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tsp. vanilla bean paste
2 cups plain flour
3 Tsp. ground ginger
1 Tsp. bicarbonate of soda
White fondant icing, to decorate (optional)
Red writing icing, to decorate (optional)
Extra EQUAL SPOONFUL, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line 2 large oven trays with baking paper. Put butter and EQUAL in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add golden syrup and beat until combined, then add egg, vanilla bean paste and 1/3 cup of the flour and beat again until well combined.

2. Sift remaining flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda over butter mixture, then stir until a loose dough forms.

3. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead until a smooth dough forms. Divide dough in half. Roll each dough half between 2 sheets of baking paper to 5mm thick. Using 9cm tall x 6.5cm wide man-shaped biscuit cutter, cut out 20 shapes, re-rolling dough as necessary. Arrange 16 men in a ring shape, on one tray, with hands and feet overlapping on each man. Arrange remaining men 2cm apart on second tray. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and firm to touch. Cool completely on trays.

4. Roll out white fondant icing following packet directions and cut 8 small bowtie shapes (if using) and adhere to every second ginger man with a little gel. Decorate the centre of each bow tip with a dot of gel.

5. Dust with extra EQUAL SPOONFUL and serve decorated with ribbon.