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!

Chocolate Balls

I've often tried these at Christmas parties and never liked them much.  They were always too sweet and sickly tasting.  So here's a more enjoyable version...

1 x 250g packet Choc Ripple Biscuits (Arnotts), or similar plain chocolate biscuit
100g dark chocolate
120g raw almonds
about 2/3 of a 395g tin of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup coconut

Process Choc Ripple biscuits in a food processor until fine.  Empty into a seperate bowl.

Process dark chocolate into small pieces.  Add to ground Choc Ripple biscuits in bowl.

Process almonds into small pieces.  Add to other ingredients in bowl and mix well.

Add sweetened condensed milk gradually, stirring well until mixture is just combined and sticky.  Don't use more than necessary to create the right texture, as this ingredient is what will make the balls too sweet.

Spread coconut out on a plate.  Form mixture into small balls and roll in coconut.

Place in refrigerator for a few hours to become firm (overnight is okay).

Another yummy addition would be pieces of glace cherries....