3 Delicious Baking Recipes for Christmas

Gingerbread Men

The gingerbread man is a staple during the festive season. They are sweet, fun and most importantly… delicious. Follow the recipe below to bake your perfect gingerbread man.

 

What tools you’ll need.

Cookie Cutter

Rolling Pin

Mixer

Small Pan

 

Ingredients

350g Self Raising Flour

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 tsp caster sugar

6 tbsp Golden Syrup

 

· Firstly Pre heat your oven to 190 degrees and grease up your baking trays with some grease proof paper.

· Mix the flour, cinnamon, bicarb of soda and sugar together in a mixing bowl and stir together.

· In a small pan melt together the butter and the syrup. Don’t have the heat too high, melting slowly is the best way.

· When all melted, pour it over the other ingredients and mix together.

· Slowly knead together to make a smooth dough.

· Lightly sprinkle your side with a dusting of flour to roll the dough out.

· Roll the dough to about a 5mm thickness

· Once rolled take your cookie cutter and cut your adorable gingerbread men.

· Place the cut cookies onto your tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

· Once baked and cooled, the fun part begins and decorate as you wish.

 

 

Mince Pies

 

Can you name one baked good that doesn’t scream Christmas like a mince pie? No, neither can we. Here’s a quick and easy recipe to make your own at home.

 

What you’ll need

 

Patty Tin

Rolling pin

 

Ingredients

 

225g cold butter, diced into cubes

350g plain flour

100g golden caster sugar

280g mincemeat

1 small beaten egg

Icing sugar for decoration

 

· Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees.

· To make the pastry roll together the butter and flour. Then add the caster sugar and a pinch of salt.

· Roll the pastry into a ball and knead together. The dough will feel quite firm and that is completely normal.

· With your patty tin, line some of the pastry in each hole of the patty tin.

· Put a teaspoon of mincemeat into each hole

· Then make round lids to place on top like a lid, press the edges together.

· Take the beaten egg and brush over the top of the pies to make sure they bake golden.

· Bake for 20 minutes and leave to cool in the tin when done.

· Once cool, take them out the tray and sprinkle with the icing sugar.

 

Chocolate and Nut Biscotti

 

This italian biscuit proves quite popular at Christmas. With the combo of the nuts and the chocolate, it’s easy to make and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or even a shot of whiskey over the festive holidays.

 

What you’ll need

 

A large baking sheet greased and covered in baking paper.

Mixing bowl.

 

Ingredients

 

225g plain flour and a bit extra to dust

1tsp baking powder

175g caster sugar

2 medium eggs, beaten

75g hazelnuts

75g pistachios

75g milk chocolate chopped into chunks

 

· Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

· Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl.

· Add the eggs and stir until clumps form, knead until smooth.

· Add the nuts and chocolate and knead until evenly distributed evenly.

· The dough should be stiff and sticky.

· Sprinkle flour onto the side and split the dough into two pieces and roll into two rough sausage shapes.

· Put the rolls onto the baking tray spaced apart and bake for 20-25 minutes.

· Once they’ve baked and the dough is hardened leave to cool for 10 minutes.

· Turn the oven down to 140 degrees

· Cut the rolls into 1cm slices

· Lay flat on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden

· Let cool and enjoy

 

Use these handy recipes and get baking this Christmas to create these classic festive foods.