Les Get Baking: Valentine gingerbread "loveshack" house

So this is part two for Valentine's Day, I've had this idea of a 'loveshack' for ages, pretty much since when I created the last gingerbread house just before Christmas. I thought to myself, I want to build this house again but I can't wait for Christmas. What's in between now and then... ahh Valentine's, ooh I could do something there, and the thought just came to me, so now I can't stop singing the B52s song, 'loveshack, baby loveshack'! Its terribly cute and lovely. All those hearts everywhere, I searched sweet shops high and low for all different kinds of sweeties.... and I'm pleased with the result....

Ingredients for the gingerbread:-

115g butter
100g dark brown sugar
4 tblsp golden syrup
300g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
Assortment of sweets to decorate
Dark chocolate

Method:-

Preheat oven to 180C or gas mark 4.

Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, bicarb of soda and ginger together. Pour in the melted butter mixture and stir to form a dough. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Cut out the templates and keep to one side. I used this particular template.

Roll out the chilled dough and cut out - for ease I used a pizza cutter. Place on a greaseproof sheet on a baking tray.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until it just about turns golden brown. Leave to cool completely.

Assemble the pieces together using melted chocolate - I just put some pieces of dark unsweetened chocolate pieces into a small bowl and put in the microwave for a few seconds, stir and repeat until completely melted. Use to build the house together. Decorate with an assortment of confectionary. I searched the high street high and low for a variety of sweets... to me this is the most exciting part.