Food_Heaven_-_November_2019

By Lakeland (blog.lakeland.co.uk)

18 baking heaven NOVEMBER WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM

Christmas

cookie tree

MAKES ONE TREE

For the tree

300g (10½oz) caster sugar

work surface to a thickness of 3-4mm

(^1 / 8 in-¼in) and cut out two cookies of

each size, dipping the cutters in flour

before each use. Arrange them on the

prepared baking trays.

4 Bake the cookies on the middle shelf

of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until

firm and golden, swapping the trays

over if necessar y. Leave to cool for

10 minutes before transferring to a wire

rack to cool completely.

5 Add green colouring to royal icing

and mix until you reach your desired

shade. Add a small round nozzle to one

of the disposable icing bags and spoon

in your icing. Star ting with the largest

cookies at the base, stack your tree,

piping icing onto each cookie as you go

and adding a sprinkle of Christmas

Glimmer Mini Pearls.

6 To finish, use the smallest cutter to

cut out a star of white icing. Glue this to

one of the smallest cookies using edible

glue, then prop it up with a small ball of

icing to create your tree-topping star.

Gingerbread trees

MAKES 2 DOZEN

750g (1lb 7oz) plain fl our, plus more

for dusting

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

230g (8oz) unsalted butter, room

temperature

200g (7oz) dark brown sugar

4 tsp ground ginger

4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp fi nely ground pepper

1 ½ tsp coarse salt

2 large free-range eggs, at room

temperature

325g (11½oz) molasses

400g (14oz) royal icing

green gel-paste food colouring

1 In a large bowl, whisk together the

flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking

powder. In another large bowl, with an

electric mixer on medium - high, beat the

butter and sugar until pale and fluffy,

2-3 minutes. Mix in the ginger,

cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt. Beat

in the eggs, one at a time, then the

molasses. Gradually add the flour

mixture and mix on low until just

combined. Divide the dough into

3 pieces; wrap each in clingfilm.

Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the
   dough to 3mm (^1 / 8 in) thick. Cut out tree
   shapes and transfer to parchment-lined
   baking sheets. Bake, rotating the sheets
   halfway through, until crisp but not
   darkened, about 20 minutes. Transfer to
   wire racks to cool completely.
   3 Tint three-quarters of the royal icing
   with green gel-paste food colouring.
   Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted
   with a small round tip. Flood the cookies
   with icing, leaving the tree trunk bare.
   Leave to set at room temperature for at
   least 12 hours, up to overnight.
   4 Place the remaining white royal icing in
   a piping bag fitted with a small round tip
   and pipe lines of snow onto the branches.
   Leave to set at room temperature, about
   4 hours. Store in an airtight container at
   room temperature for up to 3 days.

300g (10½oz) unsalted butter,

softened

2 small free-range eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

600g (1lb 3oz) plain fl our, sifted

To de c orate

Renshaw Ready-to-Use Royal Icing

green food colouring

Scrumptious Sprinkles Christmas

Glimmer Mini Pearls

edible glue

Equipment

3D Christmas Cookie Cutter Set

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark

4. Grease two baking trays and line with
   baking parchment.
   2 Cream together the butter and sugar
   until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs,
   vanilla and salt and mix well. Gradually
   add the flour and mix until incorporated.
   Bring together into a dough, divide into
   2 balls, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
   3 Roll the dough out on a lightly floured