Cooking For A Dark Christmas

I have some recipies for some delicious foods that I like to indulge on at Christmas time. Feast your eyes on this and if you like it enough, then cook it!

Batty Cookies

For the Cookies;

2 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter (no substitutions), softened
3/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

For the Icing;

200g of butter

2 cups of icing sugar

200ml of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla or peppermint essence

Directions;

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar 1 minute or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well mixed.

Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

Roll out dough to about 5cm thick and put baking paper over the top. Refridgerate for about an hour or even overnight!

Remove the baking paper and cut out shapes with cookie cutters or very carefully with a butter knife. (I like to cut out circles with egg rings for easy decorating.)

Prepare icing by combining the icing ingredients. The icing should be the consistency of softened butter so if it's too drippy then add more icing sugar and vice versa.

Apply the icing sugar to the cooled cookies and decorate!

Neenish Tarts

225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
120g butter, chilled, cubed
1 egg yolk
2 tbs iced water
Plain flour, to dust

Icing

230g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar mixture
2 tbs milk
1 1/2 tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp milk, extra

Directions;

Preheat Oven to 200 Degrees C. Add the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and iced water, and process until the mixture just comes together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide into 2 equal portions. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out 1 portion to 3mm thick. Use an 8cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut out 6 discs. Line six 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity muffin pans with pastry. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Make the mock cream.

Remove muffin pans from the fridge. Use a fork to prick bases of pastry cases. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack for 15 minutes to cool.

Place jam in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the jam melts. Strain the jam into a heatproof jug and pour into pastry cases. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Spoon mock cream evenly among pastry cases and smooth the surface.

To make the icing, combine the icing sugar and milk in a medium heatproof bowl. Place half the icing in another heatproof bowl. Add the cocoa and extra milk and stir until combined. Place the bowl containing the white icing over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until runny. Spread the white icing over the cream on half of each tart and smooth the surface. Set aside for 5 minutes to set. Repeat with the chocolate icing and set aside for 5 minutes to set.