Women's Weekly Food

CookiesChristmasThe gift of giving is a joyous thing, so bake some jollytreats for your loved ones and let their tastebuds sing!PHOTOGRAPHERIAN WALLACE STYLISTSLOUISE PICKFORD & JENNIFER TOLHURSTPHOTOCHEFSSHARON KENNEDY & ELIZABETH MACRI``````GINGERBREAD WREATHSPREP + COOK TIME1 HOUR (+ REFRIGERATION& COOLING) MAKES 2 WREATHSOR30 MEDIUM-SIZED BISCUITS``````To make the wreaths, you’ll need threeor four different−sized star cutters. Weused 8cm, 6cm, 5cm and 3cm cutters.``````125g butter, softened½ cup(110g) firmly packedbrown sugar1 egg yolk2¾ cups (405g) plain flour1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda3 teaspoons ground ginger½ cup (125ml) golden syrupor treacleicing sugar, to dust``````ROYAL ICING1 egg white1½ cups (240g) icing sugar,approximately``````1 Beat butter and sugar in a smallbowl with an electric mixer untilcombined. Beat in egg yolk. Stir in``````the sifted dry ingredients andgolden syrup to form a soft dough.Knead dough on a floured surfaceuntil smooth. Divide dough in half.Enclose in plastic wrap, thenrefrigerate for 1 hour.2 Roll each portion of doughbetween sheets of baking paperuntil 5mm thick. Freeze for15 minutes to firm.3 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°Cfan. Line two oven trays withbaking paper.4 Cut out 24 large, 12 medium,16 small and 16 smallest starswith cutters, re−rolling scraps ofdough as necessary. Place the twosmaller−sized stars on one trayand the medium and large stars onthe second tray.5 Bake larger stars for 15 minutesand smaller stars for 12 minutes oruntil lightly coloured. Cool on trays.6 Meanwhile,make royal icing.7 Draw a 25cm round on two piecesof baking paper, then turn papermarked−side down on work surface.Spoon icing into a piping bag fitted``````with a small plain tube. Followingthe shape of the marked circle,arrange the stars into a wreath shape,“glueing” stars to one another withicing. Stand wreaths at roomtemperature until set. Just beforeserving, dust with icing sugar.``````ROYAL ICINGBeat egg white in a small bowlwith an electric mixer until frothy.Gradually beat in enough siftedicing sugar until mixture is ofa piping consistency. Keep icingcoveredwithadampteatowelto prevent it drying out.``````STEP-BY-STEP GUIDEOVER THE PAGE``````Top ti pBiscuits will keep in anairtight container atroom temperature forup to 2 weeks.AWW FOOD • ISSUE FORTY FOUR 4Deck The Halls Baking