Wednesday 10 December 2014

EMILY: STAINED GLASS CHRISTMAS COOKIES!

Want to try some Christmas baking this weekend? Give these cool cookies a try… reader Emily tells you how!

Emily says:
These biscuits turned out SO well. They're amazing for Christmas… as a gift, a tree decoration, a dinner table centre piece… they fit a whole range of purposes! The biscuit itself is very moreish and the hint of spices gives them a classic Christmas taste.

As for the stained glass centre, I wasn't sure if it was actually going to work and worried the whole time it was baking… but it turned out fantastically! The sweets harden as they cool, and look amazing when you hold them up to the light. They're so versatile… fab for any occasion!

You will need:
brightly coloured boiled sweets, cut into halves
150g soft butter
100g muscovado sugar
1 free range egg
1 tsp baking powder
250g plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp mixed spice
pinch salt

To make:
* Preheat oven to 180c or gas mark 4
* Whisk the butter and sugar together; once light and fluffy, break egg into mixture and whisk again
* Stir in flour, salt, baking powder and spice; add vanilla extract and mix into a dough
* Set dough onto floured surface and roll to 1cm thick; cut cookie shapes… either circles or Christmas shapes like Christmas trees and stars
* Set biscuits onto baking tray lined with parchment paper
* Use smaller cutter to remove the middle of each cookie and place a halved sweet into each hole
* Bake for 15 mins or until golden brown; the sweet should be melted!
* While cookies are still warm, use a skewer to pierce a hole at top of each one
* Once cool, thread cord though the holes and hang cookies on the Christmas tree… they look so pretty when the Christmas lights shine through the 'stained glass' middles!

Cathy says:
I've made these too and loved the results… they make great prezzies! Have you got a fave Christmas sweet treat? COMMENT BELOW to share!

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