Pomegranate molasses gingerbread fruit bowl

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a balloon whisk. In a separate bowl with an electric hand mixer (or in a freestanding mixer), beat the softened butter and brown sugar until just combined, then scrape down the bowl. Add the whole eggs, treacle, pomegranate molasses and 2 tbsp water and mix until combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet – the dough will be quite soft and thick. Portion out 650g, flatten into a disc, then wrap tightly in baking parchment. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill both pieces for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours).

Cover the outside of a small ovenproof bowl (about 750ml in volume and ideally 25cm in diameter at the top) with a thin, smooth layer of foil. When the dough is chilled, dust a work surface with flour and put the 650g piece onto it. Dust the top of the dough with our, then use a rolling pin to roll it out to 1cm thick. Put the foil-covered bowl upside down in the centre of the dough and cut around it with a knife. Cut a second circle 2.5cm further out. Use a palette knife to carefully lift out the central disc and lay it over the outside of the bowl, smoothing it down and filling in any cracks or holes with spare dough. Transfer the ring of dough to a parchment-lined baking tray. Chill both for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas 4. Beat the egg white in a small bowl and brush it all over your chilled gingerbread bowl, then place it in the centre of the ring of dough (on the lined tray). Push the rim back onto the bowl, attaching it neatly to the edge and smoothing it with your fingers. Trim with a knife, then brush the rim with egg white and bake for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the bowl, then turn it out. Glaze the inside with egg white and bake for 5 more minutes; allow to cool again.

Meanwhile, roll out the remaining dough to 1.5cm thick. Freeze for 20 minutes, then cut out shapes of your favourite fruits. I like bananas, cherries, pears, clementines, lemons, plums and pomegranates. Arrange on baking parchmentlined baking trays and, working in batches, bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are darker brown than the centre, then transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

For the icing, in a bowl, mix the egg white with any remaining egg white from the gingerbread, plus the icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract until well combined. Divide between 3-4 bowls and add your chosen food colourings, then mix well, stirring in more icing sugar if needed to get a spoonable texture. Use a palette knife to spread a little icing over each biscuit. You can also put some icing into a piping bag to pipe a simple pattern on the rim of your bowl. Leave the icing to set fully before filling your bowl with all your fruitful bounty! It makes a great table centrepiece, and will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.