Delicious UK - (12)December 2020

80 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

make it special.

Snowmandomeswith

icedshortbread

snowflakebiscuits

MAKES4 SNOWMENSCENESANDABOUT 30

BISCUITS.HANDS-ONTIMEABOUT1 HOUR,

OVENTIME15-20MIN,PLUSCHILLING

MAKE

AHEAD

This recipe makes lots

of extra shortbread

snowflakes; store them in an

airtight container for up to 1 week.

If you’re going to eat the snowmen,

they’re at their best within 3 weeks.

This recipe uses 10g of egg white

• weigh the white from a small egg
  or use Two Chicks Free Range Liquid
  Egg White (from larger supermarkets
  and health food shops).

FOR THE SNOWFL AKE BISCUITS

• 200g plain flour, plus extra
  to dust


• 100g rice flour


• 100g caster sugar


• 250g butter, cubed and chilled

FOR THE ICING

• 10g free-range egg white (see tip)


• 80g icing sugar, sifted

FOR THE SNOWMAN SCENES

• 885g ready-to-use white
  fondant icing


• 50g ready-to-use red
  fondant icing


• 30g ready-to-use black
  fondant icing


• 4 long fresh rosemary sprigs


• 90g desiccated coconut


• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken
  into pieces

YOU’LL ALSO NEED...

• Piping bag fitted with no. 2 nozzle;
  2 sheets compostable baking
  paper; 6cm snowflake biscuit
  cutter; 2 large baking trays,
  greased and lined with
  compostable baking paper;
  4 large glass jars with lids,
  snow domes or glass cloches
  (from Ikea and Amazon)

1 For the shortbread snowflakes, put

all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Using your fingertips, rub in the

butter until the mixture resembles

fine crumbs. Turn out onto a lightly

floured surface, then knead lightly

until the mixture forms a smooth

dough. Flatten into a disc, then wrap

and chill for 30 minutes.

2 To make the icing, lightly beat the

egg white in a small mixing bowl,

then beat in the icing sugar to make

a smooth, thick icing (add a little

more icing sugar if you need it to get

the right consistency). Transfer the

icing to the piping bag.

3 Halve the chilled dough and,

working 1 piece at a time, roll out

between 2 sheets of baking paper to

a 5mm thickness. Cut shapes with

the biscuit cutter, re-rolling as

necessary. Transfer the biscuits to

the prepared trays, spaced 2cm

apart, then chill for 30 minutes.

4 Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/

gas 2. Bake for 15-20 minutes or

until golden. Cool completely on the

trays, then decorate with the icing

and leave to set for at least 2 hours.

5 To make the snowman scenes,

soften the white fondant with your

hands until pliable. Break off four

60g pieces, four 45g pieces and four

25g pieces and roll each into a ball.

6 Take 1 ball of each size, brush the

bases with a little water, then stack

them on top of one another, from

largest to smallest, to form the

body of the snowman. Flatten four

85g pieces of white fondant and

press into the inside of the 4 jar lids

or over the display base of the snow

domes/cloches.

7 Working with one colour at a time,

soften the red and the black fondant

with your hands until pliable. Roll

out two small balls of red or black

fondant for the hat: shape one into

a cylinder and flatten the second

into a disc for the brim. Attach these

to each other, then to the snowman

with a little water. Make small dots

out of black fondant for the buttons

and eyes. Use some red fondant to

make little dots for noses. Moisten

the back of these pieces with a little

water and stick to the snowman.

8 Roll out 5-6g each of white and

red fondant to form thin sausages,

then twist the 2 pieces together to

make a striped scarf. Drape around

the snowman’s neck and press

lightly to attach. Repeat to assemble

the 3 remaining snowmen.

9 Press a snowman down into the

fondant on the jar lid or display

base. Press a rosemary sprig

into the fondant base to create

a Christmas tree and arrange

2-3 shortbread snowflake biscuits

around each snowman and tree.

10 Sprinkle a quarter of the dried

coconut over each lid/base to act

as snow and add a few crumbled

cinnamon pieces for logs. Top the

arrangement with the glass jars/

snow domes/cloches and seal. Pack

up the snowmen scenes carefully

and decoratively in a box or tray

and label with an eat-by date (see

Make Ahead).

PER SHORTBREAD SNOWFLAKE

238kcals, 8.8g fat (6g saturated),

1.5g protein, 37.7g carbs (29.7g

sugars), 0.2g salt, 0.9g fibre

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