Category Archives: Home Baking

Elderflower & Pistachio Eclairs

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Choux pastry was one of the first things that my Mom taught me how to make. When I say “taught me” I mean showed me how to do it, gave me some tips and then said, “Now go yourself and do it, the books are over there’. A pretty laissez fair approach I’m sure you’ll agree? Nonetheless these first tentative explorations of patisserie (sounds far more glamourous than I actually remember!) have given me a solid base from which to build and no doubt resulted in the lack of fear of trying choux pastry.

Eclairs have always been synonymous with “being a treat” for me. They were always in that separate part of the bakery shop display cabinet, away from jam doughnuts, vanilla slices and chester bread, basking in their own halo of the fluorescent bulb. Let me tell you this though- the eclairs I grew up on were a far cry from those gourmet, high-end ones seen today. I’m talking a childhood indulgence filled with sweetened cream and chocolate “flavoured” glaze. Sounds delish, huh? Well, back then it was.

So here is my take and what better way to pay homage to the memory of my mom (ala upcoming Mother’s Day) than take one of her first lessons to me and combine it with my knack for unexpected, “haute” flavours. I want you to enjoy creating these so, as I mention later, if the filling them in the way I describe sounds a bit daunting, or laborious, please feel free to fill them with just the cream and serve the coulis and pistachio butter alongside. They make wonderful dipping sauces!

I find the floral flavour of elderflower works so well with raspberry. The zing tart hit of the berry contrasting wonderfully with the regal, fresh floral note. Adding in the pistachio gives another depth of flavour with earthy, sweetness that seems to almost bridge to two flavours. If all of this sounds like a load of ol’ foodie jargon then let me just say this – these are damn good!

The use of SOMA Pistachio Butter here is in no way paid for or compensated by the manufacturer. I simply mention using it as I am a huge fan and have yet to find something fit for substitution.

Elderflower & Pistachio Eclairs #recipe

Elderflower & Pistachio Eclairs, paired here with traditional chocolate eclairs

Makes 24

Ingredients

Choux eclairs

  • 250g cold water
  • 65g butter
  • 65g shortening
  • 2g Kosher salt
  • 5 eggs, whole and whisked together
  • 185g Bread flour

Elderflower cream filling

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Elderflower syrup

Raspberry Coulis

  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Pistachio Butter

Chocolate Glaze

  • 1 cup ruby chocolate callets
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • Fresh raspberries, optional
  • Slivered pistachios, optional

Method

To make choux eclairs

  1. Line 2 baking trays with either Silpat mats, or non-stick baking parchment. Set aside until needed
  2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F
  3. Combine water, butter, shortening and salt together in a pot. Heat over a high hear until butter and shortening have melted, and the mixture is at a rolling boil
  4. Carefully add the bread flour in one go, and stir vigorously for at least 5 minutes until the mixture comes together in a ball, and cleans the sides of the pan
  5. Transfer cooked dough mixture in to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until bowl is cool to the touch and there is no more steam rising from the mixture
  6. Gradually add eggs, roughly one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition. The mixture may separate after each addition but keep whisking until it comes together again before adding more egg. Ensure the dough is not too runny. You may not need the last amount of egg*
  7. Transfer the choux dough to a medium piping bag fitted with a French star nozzle
  8. Pipe the choux dough onto your prepared baking trays in lengths 5-6 inches, ensure they are all the same size/length
  9. Transfer to you preheated oven and bake for 25mins, until risen, crisp and golden brown. DO NOT open the door before this time
  10. After the 25 minute mark turn the heat off, remove one tray from the oven leaving the other one in. Working quickly using a skewer, or chopstick narrow end, prick each eclair, place back on the tray and return them all to the oven. Repeat with the second tray
  11. When all eclairs have been pricked, leave in the oven cooling for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and leave in a draught-free area to cool fully.

To make Elderflower cream

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
  2. Whisk until cream is thickened and semi-firm peaks are achieved
  3. Keep cool in the fridge until needed for filling

To make the Raspberry coulis

  1. In a small pan combine all the ingredients
  2. Heat on high heat until the berries start to break down and the mixture has started to boil
  3. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
  4. After this time remove from heat, transfer to bowl and leave to cool fully
  5. Once fully cool, transfer to a piping bag, seal and set aside until needed

To prepare the pistachio butter

  1. Stir to ensure an even mixture
  2. Transfer to a small piping bag, seal and set aside until needed

To fill the choux eclairs**

  1. Once all your components have fully cooled, you cab set about filling
  2. Using the narrow point of a chopstick, or thick skewer, make a hole in the underside of each eclair, roughly midway along it’s length
  3. Fit a piping bag with a narrow filling nozzle (“Bismarck” style) and transfer the elderflower cream to this bag
  4. Insert the nozzle into the hole you made in the eclair and gently squeeze to pipe some filling in. Be careful not to fill completely as you will not be able to get any of the other fillings. (You may have to sacrifice one or two to gauge the correct amount of squeezing and filling. Tasty cast-offs nonetheless!)
  5. After filling all with the cream, snip the end of the piping bag with raspberry coulis so it’s narrow enough to fit in the hole in the eclair. Gently pipe some coulis in. You’ll find you won’t need to pipe it for as long
  6. Once all have been filled with the coulis, snip the end of the bag fitted with pistachio butter (again so it can fit into the hole) and gently pipe a little pistachio butter into each eclair
  7. When all the eclairs have been filled, place on a baking tray and transfer to the fridge while you prepare the chocolate glazing

To prepare chocolate glaze

  1. In a medium bowl (wide enough to be able to place your ecliars in), combine the ruby chocolate callets and butter
  2. Heat in a microwave for 10 seconds. Remove and stir for a minute
  3. Repeat, heating again for 10 seconds. Stir until mixture melts down further and is fully combined
  4. If any small pieces of chocolate remain, heat again for 5 SECONDS. Remove and stir until fully melted

To finish

  1. Have a cooling rack handy to place you finished eclairs on
  2. Remove the eclairs from the fridge and, gently but firmly holding, dip one by one into the melted chocolate so that the top half gets covered. As second dipping might be necessary.
  3. Gently shake to remove and excess chocolate, and place chocolate side up on the cooling rack to finish setting
  4. If your decorating them as suggested here, sprinkle with the pistachio slivers and pop some raspberries on the chocolate to your liking. I’d suggest decorating as you go along, or have someone helping you decorate, as the chocolate glaze can set by time you’ve dipped them all- making it harder for the finishing touches to stick
  5. Serve and enjoy!

*When adding you eggs to make the choux dough you may not need all of the eggs. To check you want a consistency of dough that will fall from your spatula leaving a V-shape hanging, or using your (clean) finger, run it lightly through the top of the mixture. It should leave a groove that doesn’t collapse into itself.

** I completely understand that doing the full filling process is fiddly and can require a bit of practice. If you prefer shortcut to take is just to fill the eclairs with the elderflower cream and finish them with the ruby chocolate glaze as above. These can them be served with some of the raspberry coulis and pistachio butter alongside. That way you get to experience of all the wonderful flavors without it being so fussy to fill!

Chocolate Vinegar Cake

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Now don’t raise your eyebrows like that! No, I it’s not a typo- there is indeed vinegar listed in this cake. Going by it’s other moniker “Depression Chocolate Cake”, this may well be one of those recipes that probably everyone’s baking inclined grandparent would probably have in their repertoire. Dating from a time of the Great Depression, when things like eggs, milk, butter and sugar were really expensive and scarce, this recipe keeps them to a minimum. So much that with it’s absence of eggs and dairy the sponge itself can be considered vegan. If you want to finish to completion with it’s delectable ganache topping and still remain vegan-friendly, I’ve included some recommendations at the end of the recipe.

Another bonus with this recipe? Minimal washing up! In fact if you choose to cake it the classic way as a sheet cake to be eaten from the pan, you can save on that singular, additional bowl for clean up. Just make sure to omit the baking parchment lining and use a non-stick pan. Dump everything in the pan, exert a bit more restraint when mixing together and away you go! No bowl, all-in-one sheet cake.

Finishing with chocolate ganache is entirely optional. Some people prefer just a simple dusting of powdered sugar, others prefer just to leave it completely naked and bask in the unadulterated chocolatiness of the sponge itself. Whatever way you decide to finish it, I’m pretty sure you wont be making it just the once!

Chocolate Vinegar Cake #recipe

Ingredients

Makes 1 no. 9” x 12” sheet cake

Chocolate Vinegar Cake

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ¾ cup canola oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar

Chocolate Ganache topping*

  • 1 cup heavy cream, or whipping cream*
  • 8oz semi-sweet chocolate, in small pieces

Method

  1. For the ganache topping, place the chocolate pieces in a medium heatproof bowl
  2. Heat the heavy cream/ whipping cream, in a small pan over a medium heat until just below boiling (look for small bubbles at the edge of the cream in the pan)
  3. Remove the cream from the heat and gently pour the warmed cream over the chocolate pieces in the bowl. Leave to rest for 5 minutes
  4. After 5 minutes, gently stir the chocolate/ cream mixture with a whisk to emulsify it. It will appear mottled and speckled at first but continue gently stirring until it thickens and is uniform in color
  5. Once fully smooth and uniform in color, set aside and leave to fully cool before spreading (usually takes about 2 hours at room temperature). The mixture will thicken to spreadable consistency after this time
  6. Preheat your oven to 350F
  7. Prepare a 9” x 12” baking pan by greasing and lining with baking parchment
  8. In a large bowl combine all the cake ingredients- the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, water, canola oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar
  9. Whisk until fully combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to avoid any dry ingredient residue. Continue mixing until fully blended and smooth
  10. Pour into your prepared pan. If needed gently tilt the pan to allow the cake batter to flow into the corners
  11. Bake in your preheated oven for between 20-25minutesm or until a cake tester, or skewer, comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Remove the cake from the oven allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes in a rack
  12. After allowing to cool for 5 minutes, invert the cake onto a cooling rack lined with baking parchment
  13. Remove the tin and lining baking parchment paper and allow the cake to cool fully below finishing with your chocolate ganache topping
  14. Once your cake has fully cooled, pour your chocolate ganache topping over the surface and spread with an offset spatula to cover the cake
  15. Slice however you like and enjoy!

*Whilst the cake sponge in this recipe is vegan, the chocolate ganache isn’t. If you want a complete vegan friendly cake substitute 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (Make sure to fully shake it before using). Also make sure that your chocolate that your using is vegan-friendly.

Mint Viennese Whirls

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Episode 5 of Food Network Canada’s Great Chocolate Showdown rolls around and it’s pushing the boundaries on flavor combinations. This one’s all about the TEA! Using tea leaves we have to incorporate the selected flavor into a selection of bakes/ desserts fit for a high tea party. Out of the tea flavors to be selected from (Rooibos; Mint; Sencha Green; Milk Oolong; Chai Masala and Earl Grey) I ended up with Mint. Although this is the most well known, and probably most popular, it could be seen as more of a curse than as blessing due to it’s popularity. Is it a flavor that has been done to death?

Of the two desserts that I chose to present, these Viennese Whirls are my personal favorite. Buttery crumbly shortbread like cookies that are usually sandwiched together with a duo of buttercream and jam, I chose here to use the fillings to incorporate the mint flavor. Infusing a heavy cream base allowed it to be added both the buttercream filling and the feature chocolate ganache. What results is a mint flavor that avoids falling into the cliched “mouthwash mint” territory but remains palatable and interesting in these 2-bite sandwich cookies.

Mint Viennese Whirls #recipe #greatchocolateshowdown

Makes apx 16 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

Infused cream base

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp mint tea leaves

Cookies

  • 250g very soft butter
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 225g plain flour
  • 25g cornflour

Buttercream filling

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 4 tsp tea infused cream
  • ¼ tsp mint tea leaves (ground to a powder)

Chocolate Ganache filling

  • 2oz Dark Chocolate
  • ¼ tsp mint tea leaves (ground to a powder)
  • ¼ cup Infused cream, warmed to just below boiling
  • 1 Tbsp icing sugar

To Decorate (optional)

  • 3oz Dark chocolate, melted

Method

Infused cream base

  1. In a small pan combine the heavy cream and mint tea. Stir well
  2. Heat and continue to stir until the cream reaches just below boiling
  3. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
  4. After this time, pour through a sieve to strain the tea leaves, pressing to remove traces of cream and set aside until needed

Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment or pre-marked silpat sheets
  2. Measure the butter and icing sugar into a bowl, beating until pale & fluffy
  3. Sift in the flour with cornflour and beat on a medium high speed, until thoroughly mixed
  4. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle (Wilton 2D). Pipe swirled rounds (size 1 1/2″ dia) on to prepared baking sheets
  5. Bake in the center of the oven for 12—13 minutes, until a pale golden-brown at the edges. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then carefully transfer, with a spatula or palette knife, to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool divide cookies into 2 equal portions (I find it best here to sort through the batch and match up cookies of the same size)

Buttercream Filling

  1. Measure the butter into a bowl, sift the icing sugar and tea powder on top
  2. Add the infused cream, beat on medium speed until well combined. Increase to high speed and whip until very light and smooth
  3. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle (Wilton 32)
  4. Taking one portion of the cookies, pipe a border onto the flat side of the cookies, leaving a void in the middle

Chocolate Ganache filling

  1. Warm the infused cream to just below boiling. In a separate bowl combine the chocolate and icing sugar. Pour over the warmed cream
  2. Leave for 5 minutes
  3. Stir and whisk until smooth and fully emulsified
  4. Leave to cool until semi-firm (transfer to fridge to firm up but not solid)
  5. When firm pipe into center of the cookie with buttercream filling, and seal with it’s matching cookie from the second portion batch, twisting slightly to seal

To Decorate (optional)

  • Using a piping back with the end snipped off, drizzle some chocolate lightly over the assembled cookies. Leave for the chocolate to set- if you can wait that long!

Ginger & Sichuan Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts

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Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, there’s no getting away from it- even here I’m afraid. BUT I am hoping to give you something a little bit different in the recipe department. Heart-shaped and pastel-pink hued? Yes. However that’s where the predictability ends- or at least I’m hoping you think so too.

These started inception as…well…I was hankering for something sweet in between grocery deliveries. I wish I could come up with a more romantic, Earth-shattering epiphany than that but alas, no. My recipe for shortbread has been tried, approved and is a breeze to rustle up in a hurry. The instantly seductive baking phrase comes to mind, ” Quick and with minimal ingredients“. So in an effort to kill two birds with one stone, I got to thinking of doing a Valentine’s Day recipe post on shortbread.

So how can I make it “Valentine-sy”? Heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies just didn’t cut it for me. and so the mental gears turned. I had recently stocked up the pantry of some baking ingredients. “Livin’ the lockdown” dream has me currently baking every couple days- can we say “Therapy Baking”? Anyway as part of a restock I had some crystalised (candied) ginger going spare. I have a love/ hate relationship with this ingredient. Whilst I absolutely LOVE it’s mellow, slow-burning, sweet heat (especially in combination with dark chocolate) and so that was at the front of my mind. Pink peppercorns was my initial selection for the next feature ingredient. My worry, however, was that it falls slightly into the territory of over-familiarity, bordering on a go-to spicy contributor to desserts. Sichuan peppercorns are ideal to fill this gap, lending their signature tongue-tingling sensation as an extra boon without the visual fanfare.

That, for me, was enough going on internally. I try to limit the flavors within a bake in order to stop them becoming a jumbled cacophony on the tongue. I was still thinking of how to finish the flavor experience that I had in mind. And of course- rose hits me! Now I don’t mean some random pensioner walking by whacks me with her Kate Spade tote- I mean Rose the flavor. Sure it can be a tricky ingredient to use but when handled properly it can really bring a decadent statement to a bake. And let’s face it (at the risk of being slightly predictable) what’s Valentine’s Day with roses in some form? I’ve combined it here with an understated addition of white chocolate to help compliment the heat from the spices baked into the shortbread, stopping it from sitting on your tongue too long and dominating your palette.

Finishing and decorating your baked shortbread cookie is entirely at your own discretion. Leave them plain and simple, or as I did add a few choice sprinkles and some edible glitter themed in the spirt of the amorous season. See? I can do pretty.

Whatever you choose to do, whether it’s make these and share them, or keep the all to yourself I hope you enjoy them.

Stay safe, and mask up.

*Updated to include Chocolate version as featured on Food Network Canada’s “Great Chocolate Showdown”.

Ginger & Sichuan Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts #recipe #greatchocolateshowdown

Makes 16 heart cookies (I use a 2″ heart shape cutter), or 24 if cut into fingers

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups AP Flour
  • 1/3 Semolina
  • 2 Tablespoons Rice Flour (if you’re making a Chocolate shortbread version sub here with cocoa powder)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons fine sugar, divided
  • 1/2 tspn Kosher salt
  • 1 cup/ 2 sticks salted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup crystalized (candied) ginger, chopped in to small pieces
  • 2 tspn ground ginger
  • 2 tspn Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and crushed/ ground

To decorate

  • 3oz White chocolate, broken into pieces (use Dark chocolate for Chocolate shortbread version)
  • 1 tspn coconut oil
  • 1/2 tspn rosewater (omit for Chocolate shortbread version)
  • Candy sprinkles, dragees to suit

Method

Shortbread Cookies

  1. Lightly grease and line a 9″ x 12″ traybake tin
  2. In a large bowl combine the flour, semolina, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, round ginger and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Whisk together to further combine
  3. Add in the cubed butter and rub together with your fingertips, or a pastry cutter, until the mixture is just beginning to bind together. Every so often do a  quarter turn of the bowl to make sure you’re using all the dry mixture. You’ll want a texture somewhere between breadcrumbs and damp sand before you stop. Be wary of overworking the butter into the mixture – you want to avoid a dough that is feels slimey from the butter melting too much into the dry ingredients
  4. Add in the chopped crystalized (candied) ginger and stir lightly to combine
  5. Tip the crumb mixture into your prepared tin and press the dough so that it forms a solid layer. Level the surface with the back of a spoon or measuring cup, making sure the mixture is evenly spread and uniform.
  6. Refrigerate for 30 mins minimum
  7. Preheat your oven to 325°F
  8. Remove the chilled dough from your fridge and using your cookie cutter mark 16 heart shapes by pushing the cutter roughly halfway into the dough. You don’t have to go the full way through to the bottom of the pan. If you’re not making heart-shaped cookies, you can use a knife or pizza cutter score the shortbread into 24 rectangular pieces (2 cuts by 7 cuts) taking care not to actually cut the full way through
  9. Bake the dough for 30- 35 minutes or until a very pale golden brown, and deeper golden brown at the edges
  10. Remove from the oven and using your heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut fully through the baked shortbread . The dough in the cutter should come away, giving you a heart-shaped cookie. On a wire cooling rack carefully push out the cookie. Repeat and leave to cool fully*
  11. (If you’re not using a cookie cutter simply cut with a knife or pizza cutter at the score lines you previously made, cut the the bottom of the pan to complete the cut the full way through. Leave the full slab of shortbread to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the fingers out of the tin with a palette knife or the parchment paper overhang and finish cooling on a wire rack)

To decorate

  1. In a small bowl, set over a pan of simmering water, combine the white chocolate, coconut oil and rose water
  2. Heat over a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is fully melted and all ingredients are combined
  3. Turn off the heat and carefully remove the bowl
  4. Dip the shortbread hearts or bars into the melted chocolate and set on a rack or tray lined with baking parchment or silpat mat. (If you find you’re chocolate is becoming stiff and hard to work with, place the bowl of chocolate back into the hot water pan and leave to re-melt to a more workable state
  5. Whilst the chocolate is still setting finish decorating in your preferred way
  6. Because of the oil in the chocolate, fully decorated cookies should be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Separate layers of cookies using baking parchment. To serve remove the cookies about 15-20mind before serving – or just eat straight from the fridge!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

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“Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight”

So I’ve finally ventured into the world of online baking, albeit to a select audience- my kids school. Living in the time of Covid-19 has us all at sea, missing connections and striving for some semblance of normality and familiarity in what has become a very isolated, displaced cyber age. Exchanging hugs and handshakes has become thing of the past replaced with online reactions of ‘thumbs up’ and real-time fleeting grabs at proximity with elbow bumps.

It was this want for maintaining connectivity that led me to the small cyber-screen. My kids’ school has a pretty close-knit community of parents and an active parents council. The sundering of this by the Corona virus and the resulting division between “in life” and virtual schooling presented a challenge- how to keep “everyone in the loop”? Both parents and kids missing school-yard friendships and school-gate gossips. Nearly 9 months of following covid-responsible protocols, vastly reduced personal interactions and hyper-vigilant hygiene routines have taken it’s toll on us all – I know they have on me and my family. Now there are feelings of covid-fatigue playing tug-of-war with impending excitement for festivities, all the while trying to hold some together some semblance of normality for ourselves and our children.

Yes, all of this might seem like an overly dramatic preamble to a few festive themed recipes. However, I think it’s in times like these that maybe were forced to look at things differently. Everyday habits and tasks becoming life-buoys helping to navigate the way. We look inward and discover dormant strengths. Especially when it come to our kids. Let’s face it as much as we might complain about them sometimes (oh, I’ll openly admit I do!) there is no judge, jury or executioner that will harm a hair on their heads will we draw breathe. So if distracting them for thirty minutes with cookie making and hot chocolate gives them a well needed little spark of festive joy; a diversion so they aren’t so down about missing playdates or such- then I’m in. I also know as a parent that in times like this when the children are otherwise occupied, you can breathe. Finally exhale and exchange a look with your significant other that says “You okay?… We got this.” Thirty minutes to centre and steady yourself.

A friend of mine said of our current times, “We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm.” There is no cookie-cutter (forgive the pun) or one-size-fits-all way of dealing with this. But we’ll find ways to make it through. It’s what we do as humans and as parents. It’s what we’ll do this holiday season…look for and create some tinsel-tinged spark of festive joy to light the encompassing winter nights. If baking some cookies helps do that then you go ahead and break out those mixing bowls and fire up the oven. I know I will be.

The segment I “zoomed” (?) was just for making and decorating vanilla cookies, along with making peppermint candy cane hot chocolate. I’ve included a couple of other recipes that you can try out if you feel like it. All suitably festively themed and can be made by one or all. Whatever you make or do I hope you and your family have fun. Enjoy the time, the flavors…heck even enjoy the mess.

Wishing you all a happy, safe and healthy Christmas and holiday season. Enjoy the cookies!

“Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now”

Photograph: J Lee Frank

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

*Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is required or else its too tricky and unworkable. I prefer to chill it overnight.

You can’t really go wrong with sugar cookies. Well you can actually. In my experience store bought sugar cookies err on the side of fudgy staleness enrobed in the tooth-aching sweetness of excess icing. This is definitely a case of “homemade is better”.

The only thing to bear in mind with these is the chilling time. I’ve seen various recipes suggesting 30 minutes, whilst others have up to overnight recommended. I’ve found that longer works better so I follow the overnight direction. If you find the dough becoming too soft, gummy and hard to work, wrap it back up in clingwrap and pop it back in the fridge for 30mins or so.

Makes approximately 48 cookies (this depends on your choice of cookie cutters)

Ingredients (all at room temperature)

Cookies

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Glaze/ Icing

  • 1 ½ cups icing sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp light corn syrup
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • Food coloring (your favorite festive colors) *see note on coloring
  • Nonpareils; sprinkles; dragees (take your pick!)

Method

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer,  beat sugar, butter and vanilla until mixture is creamy, about 5-7 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. The mixture should become pale, fluffy and not feel grainy when you rub some between your fingers
  2. Whilst your mixture is beating, in a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine. Set aside until needed
  3. To your sugar/ butter mixture, add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, until fully incorporated. If you notice your mixture starting to split, add teaspoon of your flour mixture to bring it back together
  4. Once the eggs have been added, beat in the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, until well combined. Increase the speed until the mixture comes together in a soft dough
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide in to four even balls, flatten to discs and wrap in cling wrap
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for a least 2 hrs, or overnight (I personally find overnight works better
  7. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F
  8. Remove your chilled dough from the fridge, one ball at a time, and leave to become pliable whilst your oven heats to temperature. When your oven reaches temperature, roll out the dough to 1/4″ (0.6 cm) onto a well floured surface. (Avoiding rolling the dough too thin as it may stick and tear). Flour is your friend here – make sure you amply dust everything- counter surface, rolling pin, your hands, cutter
  9. Use cookie cutters of your choice for a variety of different shapes and sizes. Using a palette knife, or spatula, place cookies on your lined cookie sheets
  10. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until the edges are just turning golden brown
  11. Remove from oven and leave to cool on their trays for 5 mins before using a spatula to transfer to cookies to racks to cool completely

Glaze

  1. Combine icing sugar with milk; corn syrup and extract to reach desired spreading consistency. It should be quite thick. If it is much too thick, add 1/2 Tablespoon more milk. If it is much too thin, add 2 more Tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar. If you drizzle a little of the icing with the whisk, the ribbon of icing will hold for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. 
  2. Stir in food coloring or leave icing white. You can pour some icing into different bowls if using multiple colors
  3. You can pipe the icing on to the cookies using a piping bag or squeezy bottle, or using a pastry brush, paint frosting over cooled cookies and decorate with your choice of sprinkles
  4. Allow to set for at least 30mins before eating (note: the icing will still be a little soft at this point. If you want the icing to be fully hard for gifting, leave the decorated cookies to air-dry on a rack overnight

*A note on adding coloring: I prefer to use coloring gels when coloring the glaze. They are a concentrate which with very little will pack a real punch of color without affecting the consistency of your glaze. If you’re using the squeezy tube color dyes be aware that because they have a more form you are adding more liquid to your icing mix.

Enjoy!

Rudolph Oreo Cookies

Now these look like SO much more work than they are. At worst they can be a little fiddly but that just means there’s more “mis-shapes” for the family to enjoy. This is a great recipe to get the little ones involved in. Once the chocolate is melted you can pretty much give them free reign! Step back and enjoy some chocolate covered chaos.

“And now,” cried Max, “let the wild rumpus start!”

Ingredients

  • 24 Double-stuffed Oreo cookies (if you can find “Mega-stuffed” even better
  • Large twist pretzels
  • 48 White chocolate chips (or candy eye decorations)
  • 24 red candy shell chocolates (M&Ms are ideal)
  • 160z chocolate (sweet or semi-sweet, to taste)

Method

  1. Line a cookie sheet with baking parchment or silicone baking matt
  2. Start by cutting up the pretzels. Use a sharp knife to cut them in half, then carefully cut away the center section where the pretzels were joined until to have a vaguely “antler” shape.  This bit can be a bit fiddly as the pretzels can break easy but do remember they don’t have to be exact – all reindeers antlers are different after all! Repeat until you have 24 sets of pretzel antlers
  3. Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl set over a pan of water OR in the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. Once it’s melted and smooth, using two forks or a confectionary dipping scoop dip and coat an Oreo cookie until it is full coated. Remove using your chosen tools, then place the dipped cookie on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. While the chocolate is still wet, press a red candy chocolate into the center of the cookie- there’s your nose!
  5. Make your eyes using two white chocolate chips or candy eye decorations
  6. Create two pretzel antlers by pressing them between the cookies and into the space where the cream filling is. You may need to use a fork to hole the top cookie layer pressed in place while you poke the “antlers” in. Once you’ve assembled one reindeer this way, repeat until all of the cookies are dipped and decorated
  7. Lastly to give your reindeer more “eye appeal” dip a toothpick in the melted coating and give each reindeer two black dots in the center of the white chocolate chip eyes
  8. Refrigerate the tray to set the chocolate completely, for about 20 minutes. Store Oreo Reindeer Cookies carefully in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for several weeks, but for the best taste and texture, enjoy them within a week

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

Well…we need something to wash those cookies down with don’t we? If you want to REALLY treat yourself, dip the rim of your mugs into some melted chocolate and then some crushed peppermint candy canes for a stress-free, festive finishing touch.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4oz semisweet chocolate, broken in to pieces
  • 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Optional decorations

  • 1 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Crushed peppermint candy canes
  • 4 small peppermint candy canes, to stir

Method

  1. In a saucepan, combine the milk and cream and heat over a medium heat until hot, but not boiling
  2. Whisk in the chocolate and the crushed peppermint candies until melted and smooth
  3. Pour hot chocolate into four mugs, and garnish as preferred. Serve each with a candy cane stirring stick
  4. Enjoy!

Baileys Edible Cookie Dough

Because even the grown ups need a li’l something in the festive season. This can easily be made kiddie-friendly by omitting the Baileys liqueur. Looking for that gift that’s a bit different? Then look no further! Place in mason jars, decorate and tag accordingly et viola! Cookie dough can be stored (in jars or other air-tight containers) in the refrigerator for up to a week. To enjoy at it’s best remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2 Tbsp Baileys liqueur

Extra Fixings

(added to taste but I usually keep it to including 2-3)

  • Festive Candy Sprinkles
  • Dark Chocolate Chips
  • M&M’s
  • Crushed Oreos
  • Crushed Peppermint Candy Cane

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine.
  2. Add in extras and stir until well incorporated. Enjoy! (A note here – I usually keep the extra fixings to a maximum of 3, or else your cookie dough is in danger of becoming an over-sweet mess).
  3. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Before eating, remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature for a softer texture.