Step 1

Place the flour, brown sugar, butter, ground ginger, egg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a food processor and whizz until the mixture comes together to form a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2cm thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Use the blunt end of a wooden skewer to make a hole in one end of the cookies.

Step 3

Carefully transfer the cookies to the lined baking tray and bake for 8 minutes until golden. Set aside on the tray to cool.

Step 4

If you would like to hang the biscuits on the Christmas tree, thread some ribbon through each hole. You can also decorate them: use a piping bag filled with royal icing to make patterns and pop some silver balls on top.

Step 5

To make royal icing: place 1 cup of sifted icing sugar in a bowl. Add a few drops of warm water, stirring until you have a smooth consistency. Royal icing keeps for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.