Gingerbread Maple Sugar Shack

For the shack structure

• 200g butter
• 250g maple sugar
• 5g salt
• 3 eggs
• 500g plain flour
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1g ground cinnamon
• 1g ground ginger
• 1g ground nutmeg

For the icing

• 80g egg whites
• 350g maple sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• You will also need a free-standing mixer with a whisk attachment.

Method for the shack structure

1. Preheat oven to 180º. Put the plain flour, orange zest and butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Mix the maple sugar and salt followed by the eggs. If the pastry feels too dry to form a dough, add 1 tbsp water. Shape the dough into a ball, use a rolling pin to flatten it out into a disk about 1cm thick, wrap it in cling film, then chill for at least 30 mins before using.
3. Use the template to make the shapes that you need for the sugar shack then bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Method for icing

1. Create a bain-marie by placing a bowl over the top of a saucepan of water on a low heat.
2. Warm the eggs in the bain-marie for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Do this just until the egg whites have become warm but are not cooking. This will kill any bacteria and making the eggs even safer to use when raw.
3. Use the stand mixer to beat the egg whites in a clean, large bowl, with the mixer at high speed until foamy, around 2 minutes.
4. Gradually add sifted maple sugar spoonful by spoonful followed by the lemon juice. Beat at high speed until thickened. Add more icing sugar until you get the consistency you desire.
5. Assemble the sugar shack using the icing to cement walls together. Decorate as desired.