Crumbly Cookies with Jammy Fillings

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Total time : 30 minutes to 35 minutes

Makes: 30
Ingredients

225g soft butter
100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour, sifted
½ tsp baking powder, sifted
8 tbsp jam (use a selection such as raspberry and apricot)
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat using an electric whisk or a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla extract and continue beating until well combined. Using a metal spoon, fold in the flour and baking powder until the mixture forms a soft dough.
3. Take a small piece of the dough and roll in your hands to make a ball. Place on the baking tray then repeat to make more balls, leaving a gap between each one (as the mixture will spread during baking). Repeat until all the mixture has been used.
4. Make an imprint into each ball using your finger, deep enough to hold a little jam. Carefully fill each cookie with about ½ teaspoon of jam, making sure you don’t overfill.
5. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Carefully transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before eating. Perfect with a glass of orange squash.

Cook's tips

You could try other fillings for the cookies, such as lemon curd or even giant chocolate buttons. The cookies will keep in an airtight tin for up to 3 days.

Mum's Fudge Biscuits

8oz cooking choclate
4oz marg
3oz Icing sugar
1 small pkt digestives

melt choc & marg
crush biscuits in blender 1 at a time
add crumbs to choc
add icing sugar mix throughly
grease shallow 9" tin - press in & cut into square before it hardens

Christmas Tree Biscuits

Oven : 170 (160 fan)
Overall time : 1 hour (Plus cooling and setting overnight)
Cooking Time : 15-20 (frozen 20-25) (Note I foudn they were done after 10 minutes myself)

100g Unsalted butter (room temp)
100g dark brown soft sugar
295g Plain flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg (medium, lightly beaten)
4 tblsp Honey

Icing sugar for icing and stuff to decorate

* Whisk butter and sugar until pale
* Add flour, pinch of salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper and whiz to combine
* In seperate bowl combine honey and egg and then gradually beat into the dry ingredients (it is possible you won't need all the liquid - I didn't)
* Either chill in the fridge now if you don't wont to cut out immeadiately, or roll out to 1/2 inch think and cut. Use skewer to make hole in top if intended for tree and arrange on baking trays (I did them on greaseproof paper) and baked until golden brown. Cool on rack
*Make up icing and pipe/pour, splash icing on the biccies any old how. Leave to set overnight


Pre Iced will keep for a week in a sealed container, raw biscuits can be frozen on sheets and baked latre (after defrosting @ room temperature)

Spice Biscuits

110g Butter
150 Caster Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
255g Plain Flour
1 tsp Mixed Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon

* Cream butter and sugar together then add eggs and beat well
* sift in flour and spices until a firm dough
* Roll out to approx .5 cm amd cut out shapes
* Bake 8-15 minutes at 180 degrees until light brown
* Cool and ice is wished

NOTE: If storing only ice a day before being eaten

Gingerbread

First used this recipe in 2005 when Kristy and I made a church and figures for christmas - see below for pictures - we were very pleased by it!

5 Cups Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 cup vegetable fat (eg pura)
1 cup sugar
1 cup golden syrup
1/4 cup black treacle
2 eggs (beaten)

* Put flour, baking powder, salt and spices into a bowl
* melt the fat and cool for a few mintues so to not cook the eggs. Add eggs, sugar, syrup and treacle to the fat
* Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and mix well - add a little more flour if necessary
* Cut out shapes and pop on a tray
* Fan oven 160 degrees - Small pieces and cookies bake for 6-8 minutes, large pieces (such s the side of a church) 8 or more minutes
* Leave out to dry and harden over night

Notes: When doing large peices it is easier to roll out the dough on the baking tray and cut out the piece but leave the surrounding cut off bits when baking so that you will get straight edges.
* If wrapped in cling film, uncooked dough will keep for weeks. Let dough get to room temp and knead before using