CHRISTMAS COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
- 100 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 100 grams castor sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 275 grams plain flour
TO DECORATE
- 400 grams icing sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 drops food colouring (optional)
- Edible glitter (optional)
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 190˚C. Line a baking tray with butter paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat until well combined.
- Stir the flour in until the mixture comes together as a dough.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm.
- Using biscuit cutters, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place them onto the baking tray. If you are going to use the biscuits as Christmas tree decorations, carefully make a hole at the top of each biscuit using a straw.
- Bake the biscuits for 8 to 10 minutes or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes and then let them cool.
- For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring, if using.
- Carefully fill a butter paper or plastic icing cone with the icing and create patterns on the cookies. Sprinkle with edible glitter and serve once the icing hardens.
CHRISTMAS LAMINGTONS
INGREDIENTS
- 250 grams sponge cake
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- A few drops of food colouring (optional)
METHOD
- Slice the sponge cake into rectangular pieces.
- Mix 1 tablespoon icing sugar and all the cocoa powder together.
- Add the butter to it.
- Slowly stir in the hot water till the mixture becomes a medium thick paste.
- Add the vanilla essence and stir.
- In a separate bowl, mix the leftover icing sugar, desiccated coconut and food colouring, if using.
- Dip the sponge cake pieces into the cocoa mixture.
- Roll them in the coconut.
- Leave them to set. Your lamingtons are ready!
CHOCOLATE FUDGE
INGREDIENTS
- 50 grams butter
- 100 grams cashew nuts
- 25 grams plums
- 25 grams cherries
- 1 tin condensed milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
METHOD
- Using a little butter, fry the chopped cashew nuts and plums and keep aside.
- Mix together the condensed milk, sugar and leftover butter in a bowl over a medium flame.
- Allow this to boil and then add the cocoa powder and vanilla essence.
- Cook till the mixture becomes thick and begins to leave the sides.
- Add the fried nuts and plums.
- Add the cherries and turn off the flame.
- Beat the mixture till it forms a ball and transfer into a greased tray.
- Flatten it out, leave it to cool and once cooled, cut it into squares.
Warning: Ask a parent or adult to help with these recipes.
