Everyday recipes
Homemade Christmas presents: Cinnamon holly biscuits
It's Christmas time and all thoughts turn to celebrating with wonderful home-baked goodies!
This year my team has put together a fabulous collection of good value, simple-to-prepare treats to give as gifts — a great way to save this Christmas. Make them ahead and parcel them up for a real "gift from the heart".
Happy cooking!
Jennene Plummer — Food Director
INGREDIENTS
2 cups self-raising flour
90g butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
Mint leaves, red Mini M&M's
Icing:
2½ cups pure icing sugar
100ml lemon juice
METHOD
- Place flour, butter and cinnamon in a food processor. Process until combined. Add sugar, syrup and egg until mixture comes together. Turn dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Lightly grease and line 4 baking trays.
- Roll dough out in 2 portions, between 2 sheets baking paper until 5mm thick. Using a 6cm round fluted cutter, cut rounds from dough.
- Place rounds onto prepared trays. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until firm. Cool on trays. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough is used.
- Icing: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine icing sugar and juice until a thick paste forms. Spread over cold biscuits.
- Arrange mint leaves and Mini M&M's onto wet icing to form holly. When set, store in an airtight container, layering between baking paper.
Top tip:Cut dough into other Christmas shapes and decorate as desired.
For more great Christmas gift recipes, see this week's
Woman's Day (on sale December 1).
