Start by sifting together the dry ingredients - combine the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger powder, cinnamon powder in mixing bowl and keep this aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer or in a stand-mixer. Beat the butter until fluffy

Add the brown sugar, molasses, egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix on low speed

Slowly, and in 3 batches, add the dry ingredients

When the dough just begins to come together, stop mixing

Using your hands, turn out the dough on a work bench and bring it together

Separate the dough into three parts and shape each part into a rough ball

Using cling film, roll up each ball of dough and keep them to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Gingerbread dough is supposed to be best kept overnight, giving the spices time to mature

After chilling, take out a ball at a time and roll out the dough between two pieces of cling film, the thickness of the sheet should be slightly thicker than that of a coin

As you take the dough out of the fridge, begin preheating the oven at 150 C (300F)

Using a cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Bake the cookies at 150 C for 15 minutes

As the cookies cool, they will harden

Prepare the royal icing:

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg white using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, until soft peaks form

Add the sifted confectioners sugar and continue to whip till the icing is thick and of pipe-able consistency

Add a little lemon juice and whip till just combined

Use the royal icing immediately