Make edible Christmas decorations by cutting the spicy, shortbread-like dough into tree, star or bell shapes. Let the children run wild with their imagination: they can use icing pens, sugar baubles and silver balls.

Ingredients:
150g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp mixed spice
75g unsalted butter, diced
3 tbsp clear honey

Instructions:
Sift the flour and spices into a mixing bowl. Add the diced butter and rub into the flour mixture using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the honey and mix gently together to make a soft dough. (The dough can also be made in a food processor.) 

Wrap in clingfilm or greaseproof paper and chill for about 30 minutes, or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 2 baking trays. Lightly flour the work surface and a rolling pin, then roll out the dough to 3-6mm thick. Cut out shapes using biscuit cutters or by cutting around a cardboard template. Using a cocktail stick, make a hole at the top of each shape large enough to thread through a ribbon. 

Place the biscuits slightly apart on the prepared trays and chill for 10 minutes. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Leave on the trays to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks. 

When cold, decorate with icing pens – pipe a name or message or wavy patterns – then finish with tiny silver balls pressed into the icing. Leave until set, then thread ribbons through the holes for hanging on the tree. Makes about 12.