Ingredients

Step by step

1. Put the flour and butter into the bowl of a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Tip in the sugar and briefly whiz again before adding the egg yolk, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the mixture comes together, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to form a smooth dough. Divide into two discs, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 45 minutes to an hour, until firm.

2. Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3. Lightly dust a little flour on a work surface. Roll one of the discs out to about 3mm thick, then use an 11cm tall gingerbread man cutter to stamp out the dough, re-rolling the offcuts until all of the first disc is used up.

3. Turn the gingerbread men upside down so their legs are facing away from you. Using a 1cm round cutter or the end of a piping nozzle, cut out a circle in the lower half of the head part of each gingerbread man (this will become the jam-filled nose). Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with baking paper. Set aside in the fridge to firm up for at least 10 minutes.

4. Repeat with the other disc of dough, but leave these biscuits whole to make the underside of the jammy dodgers.

5. Bake the biscuits for 12-14 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside on the trays until completely cold.
6. To assemble the biscuits, lay the whole biscuits out on a work surface (legs away from you) and spread each one with a scant teaspoon of the jam, spreading almost to the edges.
7. Using a hand whisk, beat together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract until soft and creamy. Thinly spread the whole of the underside of each ‘nose’ biscuit with buttercream. Sandwich on top of the jam biscuit and spoon a little more jam – around ¼ teaspoon – into the nose hole to fill. Leave to one side to set up.
8. Sift 150g icing sugar into one bowl, add the black food colouring and 1 tablespoon of freshly boiled water. In another small bowl sift the remaining 25g icing sugar and add ½ teaspoon of boiled water. Stir both well to make fairly thick icings. Spoon the icings into disposable piping bags and snip the very tips off, to make small holes, or use fine writing nozzles for more precise piping.
9. Use the black icing to pipe mouths, ears, eye outlines and antlers and, once this has dried, use the white to fill in the eyes. When the white has also dried, use the black again to make pupils. Set aside until the icing has set, then serve.
10. Watch this...

    Reindeer 'Jammie Dodgers'