Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 4 large baking trays and line with baking paper, reusing trays as you need them. Prepare 4 quantities of gingerbread dough, rolling out each as you need it.
• 2.
  To make the gingerbread dough, place flour, bicarb, ginger, sugar and butter in a food processor and whiz until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and syrup, and whiz until mixture just comes together. Transfer to a work surface, shape into a rough ball, and enclose in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour or until firm.
• 3.
  Dust dough with flour and roll between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick (you can divide dough in 2 to make it easier to work with). Chill for 30 minutes before cutting and baking.
• 4.
  For the royal icing, lightly whisk eggwhite and lime juice together in a bowl. Gradually add icing sugar, whisking until smooth and combined. Set aside.
• 5.
  For the base of the calendar, roll 1 quantity of dough until 5mm thick. Transfer to a prepared tray and bake for 12-15 minutes until just firm and slightly golden. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes then, while still warm, cut into a 27cm square. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• 6.
  Meanwhile, divide another quantity of dough into 2 pieces and roll out each until 3mm thick. Transfer to prepared trays and bake for 12-15 minutes until just firm and slightly golden. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes then, while still warm, cut into six 25cm x 4.5cm strips and two 27cm x 4.5cm strips. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• 7.
  Divide the third quantity of dough into 2 pieces and roll out each until 3mm thick. Transfer to prepared trays and bake for 12-15 minutes until just firm and slightly golden. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes then, while still warm, cut into twenty 5cm x 4.5cm rectangles for the small partition sides of the calendar. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• 8.
  Divide the remaining quantity of dough into 2 pieces and roll out each until 3mm thick. Transfer to prepared trays and bake for 12-15 minutes or until just firm and slightly golden. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes then, while still warm, cut out twenty-five 5.5cm squares to form the calendar lids. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• 9.
  To assemble, place the base square onto a board. Using the store-bought white icing bag, pipe along one long edge of each of the two 27cm x 4.5cm strips. Position onto the top and bottom edges of the base, holding for a few seconds for the icing to set.
• 10.
  Working 1 at a time with the six 25cm x 4.5cm strips, pipe a line of icing on the two short edges and one long edge, then position vertically on the left of the base. Hold in place for a few seconds for the icing to set, then repeat with the next 25cm x 4.5cm strip, placing it 4.5cm away from the first. Repeat until you reach the right edge of the base.
• 11.
  Working in batches, pipe icing onto the bottom edge and sides of the twenty 4cm x 5cm partitions and press between each column to create 25 advent boxes.
• 12.
  Place the relevant number templates onto the centre of each 5.5cm square and brush cut-outs with eggwhite. Dust with icing sugar, then carefully remove template to reveal the number.
• 13.
  To decorate, pipe small dots on each corner of the box lids. Fill the advent calendar with your chosen Christmas decorations and chocolates and top each advent box with a numbered lid.