December 20, Christmas Stars

Ingredients

200g margarine, softened
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
3 cups plain flour
2 different colours of boiled lollies

Method

Beat together margarine and sugar until mixture is smooth.
Beat in eggs on at a time, mixing well.
Sift in flour and mix.
Roll out mixture on a floured board.
Split dough in half, wrap in glad wrap and refrigerate for 1 hr.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Roll mixture out once more and cut out star shapes (as shown below).



Place stars on a lined baking tray and place a lolly in the middle of each star.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Let cool before removing from tray as lollies will need to set in place.

This is a modified version of a recipe from Taste.com.au

December 17, Chocolate Christmas Kisses

Ingredients

200g margarine
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp red food colouring
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda

Method

Preheat oven to 180C
Melt margarine then mix in sugar then egg yolk, milk, vanilla essence and food colouring.
In a separate bowl sift flour, cocoa and baking powder.
Fold flour mixture into margarine mixture then mix well.
Spoon onto a lined tray or use a christmas tree plate in a cookie press.
When using the cookie press, use a tinfoil lined tray, shiny side up.
Bake for 6-8 minutes.

Filling

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp margarine
1 tsp peppermint essence
1/2 tsp of red food colouring
1/2 tsp of green food colouring
Boiling water

Split the icing sugar, margarine and peppermint essence between two cups/bowls.
To one cup add red colouring to the other add green colouring.
Slowly stir in hot water (pour over margarine to help melt it) in to each cup until mix is of the right thickness.
For this recipe it is preferable to have a thicker filling to help keep the biscuits together.

Putting It Together

Sandwich two biscuits together with peppermint filling in between.

December 8, Caramel and Candy Cane Tarts

Method

Preheat oven to 180C

Bases
Mix or process self raising flour, 1st lot of plain flour, 1st lot of margarine and icing sugar together in a bowl (end result should be crumb like).
Press mixture to form a lining in a greased muffin tray and cook for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool.

Filling
Mix sugar, 2nd lot of plain flour, 2nd lot of margarine, vanilla essence and egg yolks in a small saucepan.
Slowly add milk and mix well.
Put over heat and stir continuously for 10-15 minutes until sauce is thickened and glossy.
Allow to cool.

Final Steps

Spoon caramel sauce into centres in the tarts. Top with broken up pieces of candy cane. Allow to set in fridge. These should also be stored in the fridge.


Not Cooking Related

A sheep I made in the weekend (so ugly its cute)