BAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL CHRISTMAS!
Gingerbread reindeer cookies
MAKES ABOUT 24
400g (14oz) plain flour, plus extra as needed
45g (1½oz) cornflour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
250g (9oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g (9oz) treacle, warmed
1 tsp vanilla extract
To decorate
100g (3½oz) dark chocolate, at least 60% cocoa solids, finely chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
24 red chocolate sweeties, e.g. Smarties or M&M's
1 Combine the flour, cornflour, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir well and set aside.
2 Beat the softened butter with the treacle and vanilla extract in a separate mixing bowl until pale and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
3 Beat in the flour mixture in four additions, mixing well between additions until you have a rough dough; add more flour as needed to form a stiff dough. Turn out and knead briefly before shaping into a round. Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill for 2 hours.
4 After chilling, preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
5 Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll it out to about ½cm (¼in) thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out rounds using a round cookie cutter and arrange them between the baking trays, spaced apart.
6 Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until browned and dry to the touch. Remove the trays to wire racks to cool.
7 Once the cookies are cool, place the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl. Set it over a half-filled saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.
8 Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round, thin piping nozzle.
9 Using the photo as a guide, pipe two antlers and eyes onto each of the cookies, then add a small blob where the noses are going to be. Press the chocolate sweets onto the blob for the noses. Let the cookies set on wire racks.
Tip This is a great recipe to bake and decorate with little ones. Serve them with a cold glass of milk, if you like!
Red velvet cranberry cake
MAKES AN 18CM (7IN) CAKE
For the cake
250g (9oz) butter, softened, plus a little extra for the tin
200g (7oz) demerara sugar
a pinch of sea salt
6 free-range eggs
1 tsp ground vanilla
1½ tbsp red food colouring
500g (1lb 1oz) spelt flour
4 tsp baking powder
150ml (5fl oz) milk
50ml (1½fl oz) cranberry juice (or use milk)
For the frosting
500g (1lb 2oz) cream cheese
120g (4oz) icing sugar
200ml (7fl oz) single cream
100g (3½oz) dried cranberries cranberries and rosemary, for garnish (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3. Butter an 18cm (7in) springform cake tin.
2 Whisk the butter, sugar and salt until foamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue whisking until creamy, then stir in the food colouring.
3 Combine the spelt flour and baking powder and gradually fold into the butter and egg mixture, alternating with the milk and cranberry juice.
Pour the batter into the tin. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 1 hour. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool completely on a
