Gingerbread Cookies

These are bascially a gingerbread recipe, with a few extra "Christmas-y" things added!  Hope you like them, because we do!

180g butter, softened
125g brown sugar
200g golden syrup
1 tablespoon water
500g plain flour (I used a mixture of half white and half wholemeal flour)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon/allspice) [Alternatively, you could use 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.]
150g almonds, processed into small chunks
1 teaspoon lemon rind

Preheat oven to 180deg. C.

Combine butter with brown sugar.

Add water to golden syrup in a jug or seperate bowl.

Add golden syrup mix to creamed butter and sugar.

Combine flour and ground spices seperately, then slowly add to wet mixture.

Add almonds and lemon rind last.  You may need to remove the mixture from your mixer (if using) and knead by hand to finish it off.

Roll out to 6 or 7mm thick, on a floured surface.  Cut out cookies using shapes of your choice. [The smaller the shape, the less baking time required, so adjust it to what you need.]

Line baking tray with baking paper.  Arrange cookies on tray and bake for 10 minutes.  They should be slightly browned.  Leave on a rack to cool.  They will continue to cook and harden up slightly as they cool.

Merry Christmas!

Cherry Coconut Hearts

I made these for my husband for Valentine's Day. He was pleasantly surprised!
I would add a bit more sugar next time as they didn't turn out very sweet, though still very tasty.

125g butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar or more
1 egg
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour (substitute 1 cup SR and 1 cup plain wheat flour and omit baking powder if you like)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
water
preserved cherries (available in a jar at Aldi stores)

Oven setting: 180 C
Baking time: 15 minutes

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and beat well. Add flour (with baking powder) and milk alternatively to form a firm dough. Add coconut and mix well. Add a little water if it's too dry.

Roll out mixture as thinly or thickly as you desire (I did 0.5cm); cut out shapes and place on a well-greased baking tray. Space the biscuits at least one cm apart from each other on the tray as they do 'grow' during baking.

Make slight indentations in the middle of each biscuit with your finger and place one cherry on each. You could put more on, but too many would hinder the baking process (it would make them too moist on top). Spread a little of the cherry juice around the biscuit with a teaspoon - not too much as it would make the dough too moist.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen the biscuits from the tray while still hot (use a plastic egg flip). Leave them a few minutes then stack into your biscuit storage container.

Fruit and Nut Biscuits

1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
125g margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons brown sugar
milk
100g sultanas
100g cashew nuts

Oven setting: 180 C
Cooking Time: 15 mins

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add flours and brown sugar; mix well. Gradually add milk until the mixture is moist enough. Lastly, add sultanas and nuts and mix through. Form small balls and place on tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 mins or until lightly browned.

Notes: Brown sugar adds colour and flavour. If you use baking paper, these won't flatten out at all. But if you grease your baking trays, they will flatten slightly.

Choc-chip Cookies

1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
125 margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 generous tablespoon honey
milk
125g (or more) choc-chips

Oven setting: 180 C
Cooking Time: 15 mins

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add flours and honey; mix well. Gradually add milk until the mixture is moist enough. Lastly, add choc-chips and mix through. Form small balls and place on tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 mins or until lightly browned. Yum!