Ho ho ho – it is getting very close to all that is festive… the ‘where has the year gone?’ conversations, the ‘what am I going to buy Aunty Carol?’ questions, the musings on when to bake to avoid the heat of the day…
Here in Sydney December is always a bazillion degrees. Often humid, too. And very often followed by a thunderstorm late in the day. As I type we are experiencing a house-shaking, sky-piercing, ear-throbbing thunder and lightening spectacular.
I used a snowflake cutter to make these cookies / biscuits as it is the newest member of my constantly expanding cookie cutter collection. We don’t get snow, so I don’t understand the fascination with all things frozen. Having said that, I’m not sure what a Southern Hemisphere festive-season cutter would be shaped like – a sun? A huge fly? A sunburnt tourist on Bondi Beach?
Maybe we’ll stick with tradition then…
Feel free to use any cutter you like. As you can see I also made stars, as they are so cute and perfectly bite-sized.
GATHER:
250 g softened butter, diced
¾ cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 ¼ cups plain flour
topping:
egg white
1/3 cup caster sugar mixed with two teaspoons cinnamon
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 180C and line two baking trays with non-stick paper.
In bowl of electric mixer beat butter and sugar until pale, then add vanilla and egg yolk and beat until combined.
With beaters on low add flour and mix until combined.
Divide in half; wrap each half in plastic wrap and place in fridge for half an hour.
Using a rolling pin roll out dough between two pieces of non-stick paper until 5mm thick.
Use cutters to cut out shapes, and then carefully transfer to tray.
Place in freezer for 10 minutes – this will help the shapes stay true.
Using pastry brush coat tops with egg white, then sprinkle over the combined sugar / cinnamon.
Bake for between 8-12 minutes, depending on size.
Cool on sheets for five minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
