Spiced bikkies recipe

This recipe will probably be available soon on the taste.com.au website. But I'll put it here now because it's GOOD! It's from the Dec/Jan issue of Delicious magazine.

Spiced Bikkies (AKA edible decorations)

2 1/4cups plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp mixed ground baking spices (I used a combination of mostly ginger, then nutmeg and cinnamon)
1tsp pepper
pinch of salt
120g unsalted butter
120g dark muscovado or molasses sugar or dark brown sugar
2 eggs
3tbs honey

1cup flour (or more) extra for cutting.

It's probably easiest to process this in a food processor.
Combine flour, baking powder, spices, S&P.
Add butter and sugar and mix until smooth.
Combine the eggs and honey separately. With the processor going, add the egg mixture slowly - just enough to bind the mix and not necessarily all of it. Divide the mixture into 2 or 3 balls and wrap them in plastic then refridgerate. Chill them for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160 celcius. Line your trays with baking paper.

On a floured surface roll out one of the dough balls. Sprinkle extra flour over the surface as required to stop it from sticking. Roll it out to about 5mm thick and use your prettiest cookie cutters to make shapes. Keep re-rolling the dough as needed to cut more shapes. I had to keep using more extra flour to stop it from sticking. If there's a small amount left at the end, nobody will think badly of you if you eat it raw. Personally, I made a disc and cooked it because my will power is amazing. Also, I got my fix from the beaters and bowl...

If you want to make hanging decorations, use a plastic drinking straw to cut a small hole in the top of your shape. When they bake, the bikkies expand and some of the holes may close over. Also, make sure you leave a bit of space in between in biscuit on the tray.

Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. They'll have risen and should be a little browned around the edge. Take them off the tray to cool. They'll be a bit soft at first. Eat one before it goes hard. Then eat another one after it's cooled down a bit. Eat the ones that were a bit wonky or the hole filled over on. Noone will know.

You can also ice these with royal icing and pretty sparkles. I didn't. It makes about 40 - but this depends on the size of your cutter shape!

ho ho jingle jangle

Thanks for your comments and thoughts about my hair-dorama's. I decided to delete those 2 posts, because I really don't want negative posts here, and I really really didn't want to see myself each time I looked at my blog! (I don't post very often, so I forget what I've done...)

I am finished with swapping this year! YAY! This is what I sent to Silvia for the Christmas Kaleido-swap. Silvia has 4 cats and is a huge cat fan!



Yesterday I received the mini christmas card swap from Anne. Anne made me a sweet little stationery set. The swing tags are great! So are the envelopes!! I have never been so successful making my own, but Anne has the technique down pat. Can you tell from this photo?


My lovely friend Annette surprised me the other day with these 2 little embroidered ornaments. Aren't they fantastic! I love the colours and the beading.


I've been spending the last couple of days cooking and getting ready for Christmas. Here's this years rocky road - I put silver balls on top to make it look more festive. This is wrapped and ready to take to my sister's tonight. I posted the recipe last year.


I've also made my normal Christmas cake too. Not photos this time - they look remarkably similar to last year!

I've tried a new recipe today. It's spiced biscuits or gingerbread, I suppose. The recipe is from this months (i.e. Dec 07/Jan 08) Delicious magazine. I may be inspired to share the recipe soon - but not today.

I can vouch that they're very tasty indeed.

doing something crafty

WOW - first day of holidays for me and the house is a pigsty with buttons all over the loungeroom floor; the glue gun is out in the kitchen; the dining room table is covered in paper, stamps, xacto knife, and WIP's waiting for the sewing machine to make an entrance and crochet cotton and hooks dumped at every comfy seat around the house.

Sheesh - I have to tidy it all up tonight because we have a cleaner coming through the house tomorrow! It does, of course, take longer to tidy the house than to clean it. Well, once I've been having fun it does. I DO believe it's worth it - hubby isn't convinced. (Hubby doesn't have a very high rating care factor either).

I've been busy making sets of 4 crocheted coasters in christmas colours. They'll be on their way to new homes tomorrow. (This has been my work in progress over the last week - not just today BTW. I've made 3 sets so far.)



Today I have been making cute little vintage button and buckle brooches. I can't decide which one/s to keep for myself. hmmm. They are also for gifts. The colours didn't come out too good in the photo. Maybe because of the dull stormy weather that's happening here in Sydney.


Oh. My. Goodness. Kajsa sent me this bundle of goodies in a little ornament swap I was doing. It was supposed to be only an ornament! But heck - take a look at the fantastic ornament!!! I LOVE Kajsa's things, and this really blew me away.


I'm hoping to finish off lots of projects over the next 2 weeks, which should mean actually posting on this blog - something I've been pretty bad at this year.

Oh yeah, and I really want a bundle of colours of this. I can feel a blanket coming on next winter....