BetterHomesAndGardensAustraliaDecember2015_

84 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, DECEMBER 2015 bhg.com.au

sweettreats

heat and stir in macadamia nuts.

Pour into pastry shell, smoothing

surface with the back of a spoon.

Arrange chilled trees in a ring on

top of caramel filling, with tree

trunks towards tart edge. Bake

for 10 minutes or until trees are

cooked then transfer to a wire

rack to cool. Refrigerate

overnight or for at least 2 hours

until chilled. Serve lightly dusted

with extra icing sugar.

White-choc fudge trees

Preparation time: 15 mins plus

8 hours chilling

Cooking time: 10 mins

Makes 12

425g white chocolate melts

395g tin sweetened

condensed milk

½ cup icing sugar mixture,

sifted, plus extra, to dust

12 silver cachous, to decorate

1 Cut twelve 25 x 15cm

rectangles from baking paper.

Holding 1 rectangle horizontally,

fold bottom right corner to top

long edge to form a triangle,

then roll into a cone shape,

ensuring bottom pointed end

is rolled tight. Secure with a

staple, then put in a tall glass,

pointed end down. Repeat with

remaining pieces of paper.

Put glasses on a large tray.

2 Put 375g white chocolate

melts and condensed milk in

a medium heatproof bowl

over a medium saucepan of

simmering water, stirring until

mixture is melted and smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in

icing sugar until well combined.

3 Spoon mixture into baking

paper cones, filling as full as you

like depending on the height

you want to achieve. Refrigerate

for at least 8 hours.

4 Line an oven tray with

baking paper. Peel away baking

paper from fudge trees and trim

bases to make flat if necessary.

Stand trees on prepared tray.

Melt remaining chocolate in

a small heatproof bowl over a

small saucepan of simmering

water, stirring until smooth. Use

a teaspoon to drizzle over each

tree. Decorate each tree top

with a cachous, then serve

dusted with extra icing sugar.

Choc marshmallow bickies

Preparation time: 15 mins plus

30 mins chilling, 1 hour setting

Cooking time: 15 mins

Makes 16

Cooking oil spray, to grease

½ cup water, plus ½ cup extra

2 Tbsp gelatine powder

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup desiccated coconut

Cornflour, to dust

50g white chocolate, melted

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT BASE

1¼ cups plain flour

¼ cup Dutch cocoa

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g butter, melted

²⁄³ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 Line 3 oven trays with

baking paper. Grease a 30 x

20cm lamington tin with cooking

oil spray. Line base and sides

with baking paper, extending it

2cm above the top.

2 To make biscuits, sift flour,

cocoa and bicarbonate of soda

into a large bowl. Make well in

centre. Combine butter, sugar

and egg in another bowl, then

add to flour mixture, stirring until

a rough dough forms. Knead on

a clean dry surface until smooth.

Shape into a disc, cover with

plastic wrap and refrigerate for

30 minutes.

3 Preheat oven to 180ºC. Roll

dough out between 2 sheets of

baking paper until 3mm thick.

Use a 9cm-tall tree cookie cutter

to cut out shapes from dough,

re-rolling dough to make at least

16 cookies. Arrange cookies on

prepared trays, 3cm apart.

4 Bake for 15 minutes or until

firm to touch. Set aside on trays

to cool completely.

5 Meanwhile, put water in a

small bowl and stir in gelatine.

Set aside for 10 minutes.

6 Combine sugar and extra

water in a small saucepan over a

medium heat and cook, stirring

occasionally, for 2 minutes or

until sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla,

then add gelatine mixture,

stirring until dissolved. Transfer

to a large bowl. Set aside to cool

for 10 minutes.

7 Beat with an electric hand

beater on high for 10 minutes

or until tripled in size. Spoon

into prepared tin, smoothing

down surface. Sprinkle with

coconut. Set aside for 30

minutes until set firmly.

8 Use a 9cm-tall tree cookie

cutter to cut out 16 shapes,

dipping cutter into cornflour to

prevent sticking between cuts.

9 Spoon a little melted

chocolate into centre of each

biscuit. Top with marshmallow

tree. Set aside for 30 minutes so

chocolate sets firmly. Serve.

Snow dome trees

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Makes 6

6 medium glass jars or

ovenproof mugs, with lids

50g butter, melted

¹⁄³ cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

½ cup self-raising flour

1½ tsp mixed spice

1 Tbsp milk

Silver cachous, to decorate

1 cup desiccated coconut

Icing sugar mixture, to dust

BUTTER CREAM ICING

250g butter, chopped,

softened

3 cups icing sugar mixture

2 Tbsp milk

Green food colouring gel,

to tint

▲

TRY

THIS

Pretty up your

table setting

with lots of

glittering

decorations

and festive

red berries.

White-chocolate fudge trees

Choc marshmallow biscuits

Snow dome Christmas trees