Edible Xmas Tree Decorations
BISCUIT INGREDIENTS:
• 250g butter, softened
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ¼ cup (90g) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond essence
• 2 & ½ cups flour
• 1 & ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger
• Smarties, lollies & ready made icing to decorate
STEPS:
• Make sure your oven is preheated to 160 degrees before you start
• Cream together butter & caster sugar until fluffy
• Beat in condensed milk & essences
• Sift in dry ingredients and knead to a soft dough
• Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes
• Cut chilled dough into quarters. Roll between two sheets of baking paper with a rolling pin. This stops the biscuit mixture getting dry like it does when you use flour.
• Cut out Christmas shapes and put in lollies if you’re using them.
• Poke a hole in the top of each biscuit with a chopstick, or something similar.
• Put into oven to bake for 10- 12 minutes
GINGERBREAD DUDE & DUDETTE INGREDIENTS:
• 125g softened, chopped butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup golden syrup
• 2 & ½ cups plain, sifted flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Icing sugar
• Food colouring
• Hot water
• Glitter icing tubes
• Lollies to decorate
• Baking paper
STEPS:
• Preheat oven to 190c.
• Cream butter & sugar in electric mixer.
• Add golden syrup, flour, ginger and baking soda. Beat until mix comes together to form a smooth dough.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper until 5 mm thick.
• Cut out into dude and dudette shapes then poke a hole in the top of each biscuit with a chopstick, or something similar.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
• Make the icing by mixing icing sugar and hot water in a bowl to make a smooth paste. Separate and colour individually with food colouring.
NEXT STEPS:
• When biscuits and the dude and dudettes have cooled, tie ribbon through hole at the top before icing and decorating them so you can hang them up.
• Use red and green icing to colour in or outline the biscuits.
• Add sparkles and lollies, but don’t overdo it or they’ll fall off when you hang them up.
• Leave to dry in layers in airtight containers then tie them up in tissue paper to give to your friends!