Festive baking

With Christmas Day just over a week away, now is the time to involve the family and have some fun baking to help get into the festive spirit. Baking doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming, but it can create some wonderfully Christmas family memories. Some can be frozen, some can be shared and some are to be given away. Here are some easy recipes ideas shared by the domestic cleaning experts at MOLLY MAID.

Christmas Tree Lollies

Ingredients:

• 200g marshmallow
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 100g Rice Krispies
• 6 ice-cream cone
• 500g icing sugar
• ½ tsp green food colouring
• sweets and sprinkles, to decorate

How:

1. Melt the marshmallows and golden syrup in a pan.
2. Stir in Rice Krispies.
3. Working quickly, pack the mixture into ice cream cones and push a lolly stick into the middle of each one.
4. Chill the cones for 1 hr until completely firm.
5. Mix icing sugar with green food colouring and enough water to make a thick icing.
6. Dip the cones into the icing and decorate with sweets and sprinkles. Prop up on a wire cooling rack to set.

Snowflake biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Royal Icing:

• 4 cups icing sugar
• 1/4 cup meringue powder
• Food colouring, optional
• Sprinkles, for topping, optional

How:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat the brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed until completely incorporated.
2. Divide the dough in half, pat into 2 discs about 1/4 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour and up to overnight.
3. Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 175°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make rolling easier. Roll out 1 disc of dough at a time between 2 pieces of parchment paper until 1/8 inch thick.
5. Cut out shapes with the biscuit cutters and arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake until the biscutis are golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack; then allow to cool completely.
7. Gently gather any scraps into a ball and press into a disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the disc until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. Cut out as many shapes as possible and bake.
8. For the royal icing: Beat the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and 1/3 cup water with an electric mixer in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Beat in the food coloring if using. (The icing can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
9. Finally, decorate the biscuits with the icing; top with sprinkles and other festive treats.

Traditional German Spiced Biscuits

Ingredients

• 225g (8 oz) chopped unblanched almonds
• 225g (8 oz) self-raising flour
• 225g (8 oz) caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 175g (6 oz) chopped candied peel

How:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
2. Mix all ingredients together well. The mixture has no fat & is very sticky.
3. Roll out onto a well floured board to about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Cut into rough shaped pieces about 2″ x 3″ and slide with the aid of a knife onto baking parchment on an oven tray.
5. Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Ice whilst still warm with a royal icing made from one of the remaining egg whites and enough icing sugar to make a thick but still running icing. The icing will stiffen as the biscuits cool. You may wish to decorate with sprinkles, glitter or some of the candied peel.
7. Store in an airtight tin as they do keep well.

Have fun with your festive baking and remember to play some of those well-known Christmas tunes to help you get in the mood!

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