Better Homes and Gardens Australia — December 2017

GINGERBREAD WREATH
Preparation time 20 mins
plus 45 mins chilling
Cooking time 15 mins
Makes 1 wreath

150g butter, chopped, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1⁄ 3 cup golden syrup
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Icing
2 free-range egg whites
2½ cups pure icing sugar
3-4 tsp lemon juice

STEP 1 Line a large oven tray with
baking paper. Put butter and brown
sugar into a large bowl. Beat with
electric hand beaters on high for
2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add syrup and beat until combined.
Stir in flour, spices and bicarb until
a soft dough forms. Knead into a
ball, flatten into a disc and wrap in
plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes.
STEP 2 Roll out dough between
2 sheets of baking paper to form
a rough circle, 5mm thick. Use
various leaf cutters (we used 4 x 8cm
cutters) to cut out 16 leaf shapes.
Arrange leaves, 2cm apart, on
prepared tray. Chill for 30 minutes.
STEP 3 Meanwhile, re-roll all offcuts to
form a rough circle, 8mm thick. Trace
around the edge of a 20cm plate to
form a disc. Put a 12cm plate in the
centre and trace around to make a
ring. Remove pastry centre. Slide the
paper with dough ring on it, onto a
large oven tray. Chill for 30 minutes.
STEP 4 Preheat oven to 160ºC fan-
forced (180ºC conventional). Bake
ring for 14-16 minutes and leaves for
12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
Set aside on tray to cool completely.
STEP 5 To make icing, put egg whites
in a medium bowl and beat with an
electric hand mixer until they start
to froth. Sift pure icing sugar onto a
sheet of baking paper. Add icing sugar
to egg white, 1 Tbsp at a time, and

beat until thick and stiff peaks form.

Add enough lemon juice to thin icing

until at desired drizzling consistency.

STEP 6 Use icing as glue to stick

leaves onto ring. Set aside for 30

minutes until icing has set.

CINNAMON PILLOWS WITH

DARK-CHOCOLATE CENTRE

Preparation time 20 mins

plus 15 mins chilling

Cooking time 15 mins

Makes 20

125g butter, chopped, softened

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup golden syrup

2 cups plain flour

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

20 squares dark chocolate (125g)

¼ cup icing sugar mixture

STEP 1 Line 2 large oven trays with

baking paper. Put butter and brown

sugar into a large bowl. Beat with

electric hand beaters on high for

2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Add syrup and beat until combined.

STEP 2 Stir in flour, cinnamon and

bicarb until a soft dough forms. Form

into a ball, flatten into a disc and wrap

in plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes.

STEP 3 Preheat oven to 160ºC fan-

forced (180ºC conventional). Measure

1 Tbsp of dough, then halve it. Roll

each half into a ball and gently squash

each into a disc. Put 1 square of

chocolate on centre of 1 disc. Top with

second disc. Press disc edges together

to enclose chocolate, then gently form

into a ball with a slightly flattened base.

Transfer to prepared tray.

STEP 4 Repeat Step 3 with remaining

dough and chocolate squares, to make

20. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly
    golden. Set aside on trays to cool. Dust
    generously with icing sugar and serve.

CHOCOLATE GINGER CAKES

WITH CINNAMON-SPIKED

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Preparation time 20 mins

plus 35 mins chilling

Cooking time 45 mins

Makes 4

Cooking oil spray, to grease

2 free-range eggs

250ml milk

150g butter, melted

½ cup golden syrup

¾ cup brown sugar

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 cups plain flour

¼ cup Dutch cocoa

Chocolate-coated coffee beans

Cinnamon-spiked cream

cheese frosting

1½ 250g blocks cream cheese (375g

in total), chopped, softened

1¼ cups icing sugar mixture, sifted

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Chocolate ganache

125g quality dark chocolate, chopped

125ml thickened cream

FESTIVE BAKING

Gingerbread wreath Cinnamon pillows

22 BHG DECEMBER 2017