Gingerbread Trifle

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and ½ cup brown sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in syrup and egg until well combined. Place flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda in a separate large bowl. Whisk to combine. Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing until it forms a dough. Shape and flatten dough into a rectangle. Wrap dough in baking paper and chill for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until 4mm-thick. Using an 8cm gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out 8 gingerbread men. Arrange men, 4cm apart, on 1 prepared baking tray.

Using one end of a bamboo skewer, make indents for eyes, buttons and smile. Bring together remaining dough and roll out into 4mm-thick rectangle and place on remaining prepared tray. Bake for 8 minutes until light golden. Stand on trays for 10 minutes to cool, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Biscuits will crisp up as they cool.)

Crumble gingerbread biscuit slab into a large bowl and roughly crush with the end of a rolling pin. Using an electric mixer, beat cream and remaining brown sugar in a large bowl until firm peaks just begin to form.

Sprinkle one-third of the biscuit crumb over the base of a 2.5 litre capacity trifle bowl. Spoon one-third of the cream over crumb base and spread to cover. Drizzle with one-third of the caramel. Repeat layers twice, then decorate with gingerbread men. Serve with any remaining gingerbread men.