Jigsaw puzzle Christmas tree

Step 1

Chop butter; place in medium saucepan with sugar and golden syrup. Stir over low heat until smooth; transfer to large heatproof bowl. Cool for 15 minutes.

Step 2

Stir extract, egg, cream and sifted soda, then sifted flour into butter mixture. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead until smooth. Divide dough in half. Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.

Step 4

Roll half the dough between sheets of baking paper until 3mm (⅛ inch) thick. Cut dough into tree shapes, using template as a guide; re-roll dough scraps as necessary. Transfer trees to baking-paper-lined oven trays. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Step 5

Bake trees about 10 minutes. While trees are hot, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut out puzzle shapes. Cool on trays. Repeat with remaining dough.

Step 6

To make royal icing, beat egg white in small bowl with electric mixer until white is just broken up. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar until firm peaks form; stir in enough juice to make icing a piping consistency. Keep surface of icing covered with plastic wrap to prevent it drying out.

Step 7

Fit a small piping bag with a small plain piping tube; half-fill with royal icing, use to pipe around edge of each puzzle piece in an unbroken line.

Step 8

Tint remaining icing blue. Fit a small piping bag with a star tube, half-fill with icing, use to pipe stars on each puzzle piece. Top each star with a silver cachous before icing sets. Stand trees about 2 hours or until icing sets.