Christmas Biscuits Three Ways

We made it!  Just 4 more sleeps until Christmas – can you believe it?  I’m already nackered from running around doing that final food shop (…I still managed to forget a couple of things.  Do you think my in-laws will mind going without milk in their tea for a couple of days…?) and wrapping those last couple of presents.  I’m feeling pretty organised and chill about it all, how ’bout you?  Are you sorted… or stressed?  Have you still got a couple of people to buy for?  Well, I got your back.  If you’re looking for a couple of easy handmade gifts then you can’t go wrong with a jar of Chilli and Red Pepper Jam, these fuss-free Chocolate Truffles or, why not bake a box of some Christmas Biscuits?

I make a big batch every year for family and friends to scoff with a cuppa when they stop by over Christmas – but I get bored of making the same sugar cookies, so this year, I decided to fiddle around with the base recipe and come up with a few alternative flavours including Cinnamon, Maple and Pecan and – my personal favourite – Pistachio.  Yum! 🙂

Christmas Biscuits – Three Ways

Cinnamon

• 200g Plain Flour (including a little extra for dusting)
• 75g Caster Sugar
• 50g Butter
• 1 Egg, whisked
• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Maple and Pecan

• 150g Plain Flour (including a little extra for dusting)
• 50g Pecans, finely ground
• 50g Caster Sugar
• 50g Butter
• 1 Egg, whisked
• 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Pistachio

• 100g Plain Flour (including a little extra for dusting)
• 100g Pistachios, finely ground
• 75g Caster Sugar
• 50g Butter
• 1 Egg, whisked
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt

1. In a bowl, cream together your butter and caster sugar, then beat in the egg (and any other wet ingredients, e.g. Maple Syrup).  Stir in the dry ingredients (flour, nut flours, baking powder and salt) until they pull together into a dough. 
2. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours (this will make the dough easier to roll and hold its shape when it bakes).
3. When you’re ready to start baking, set your oven to 170 and line a couple of baking trays with grease proof baking paper.  I like to set up a bit of a production line and work in batches, cutting the dough in half, working with one half and leaving the other in the fridge to cool until I’m ready to use it.
4. Roll out your dough with a little flour (you might need more for the Maple and Pecan dough – which tends to be stickier – and less for the Pistachio dough – which tends to be drier).  Roll out the dough until it’s about a cm thick, then cut into shapes.
5. Bake the biscuits for about 10 minutes, then leave to cool.
6. Decorate with chocolate icing, then scoff!

Well, that’s me done until 2019!  Nadolig Llawen (Merry Christmas)!  Hope you have the best time ever with your favourite people (and pets!).  ❤