Instructions: Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Grease two baking sheets.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spice into a bowl.

Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the golden syrup and egg and mix to form a dough.

Gently knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth, the roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Use christmas cutters to cut out 16 shapes.

Lift shapes on to baking sheets and bake until just firm to the touch.

Make a hole large enough for gold thread at the top of each biscuit.

Transfer to cooling rack and leave until cold.

To decorate, roll out fondant icing on a clean surface dusted with icing sugar. Cut out shapes with cutters and place on biscuits, securing them with a little water. Make a hole for thread as before.

Decorate with piped glace icing, silver balls, sweets or coconut.

Thread each biscuit with gold thread and hang on Christmas tree, if liked.

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