Gingerbread house

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 6 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease. Use an electric beater to beat together the butter, sugar, golden syrup and egg yolks in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth.

Divide dough into 6 equal portions. To make a side wall, roll out 1 dough portion on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick. Cut into a 15 x 24cm rectangle and place on prepared tray. Use a small sharp knife to cut out three 4cm squares to create windows. Repeat with another dough portion to make the other side wall. Sprinkle two-thirds of lollies in windows (they'll melt to make "stained-glass" windows). Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, swapping trays halfway through cooking, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Set aside on the trays for 20 minutes to cool.

To make the back wall, roll out another dough portion until 5mm thick. Cut out a 16cm (base) x 15cm (sides) x 10cm (wall pitch) shape. Place on a prepared tray. Use a small sharp knife to cut out two 4cm squares to create windows (make sure they're the same height as side-wall windows). Sprinkle the remaining lollies in the windows. Repeat with another dough portion to make the front wall. Instead of windows, cut out a 4 x 8cm rectangle to create the door. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, swapping trays halfway through cooking, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Set aside on the trays for 20 minutes to cool.

To make the roof, roll out another dough portion until 5mm thick. Cut into a 15 x 26cm rectangle. Place on a prepared tray. Repeat with remaining dough portion. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, swapping trays halfway through cooking, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Set aside on the trays for 20 minutes to cool.

To decorate and assemble the house, place icing sugar in a bowl. Add lemon juice and stir in enough egg white to make a firm paste. Place half the icing in a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Set aside until required. Spread icing on the chocolate side of freckles and arrange on 2 roof pieces to create tiles. Set aside for 2 hours to set.

Meanwhile, place half the remaining icing in a piping bag fitted with a 2mm diameter plain nozzle. Pipe around the windows to create frames. Pipe a small dot on backs of flower decorations and arrange over base of each wall panel. Set aside for 1 hour to set.

Place the remaining icing in a piping bag fitted with a 5mm-diameter fluted nozzle and pipe along the base and side of 1 wall panel. Stand on a square 40cm (base measurement) cake board, using a glass to support it. Repeat with the remaining panels to form the walls of the house. Set aside overnight to set.

Pipe around top edges of walls. Attach the roof panels (place bamboo skewers under roof for support). Pipe along top of the roof. Set aside for 6 hours to set.

Place coconut in a plastic bag. Add food colouring and twist the opening to close. Shake the bag until coconut is evenly coated in food colouring. Spread base of cake board with any remaining icing. Sprinkle with coconut. Set aside for at least 1 hour to set.