Saturday 14 December 2013

Festive star cookies (baking with kids)




"That wasn't an accident, Mama!" (looking at an empty plate, from which all cookies are gone)



What could be better than a baking session on a Saturday?

Cookies before being decorated

Festive cookies
Ingredients:
1 medium egg
130g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
1tbsp vanilla syrup (optional)
1tsp cinnamon
375g plain flour + more for dusting the board and rolling pin
1tsp baking powder
240g butter, melted

For decorating:
icing sugar + lemon or orange juice
Jelly bellies, Jelly diamonds, Dr Oetker Soft silver and gold pearls

In a big bowl beat the egg with the sugar and spices. Add the flour, baking powder as well as the melted butter and mix well. Cover the bowl with the dough and place it in the fridge for an hour.
Take the dough out and divide in two. I used one half of the dough for today's baking, the other half went back in the fridge for tomorrow.
Turn the oven on to 180C.
Cover the baking trays with the foil or parchment paper.
Lightly dust the board or working surface with the flour, roll the dough out to 5mm thickness. Using the star cookie cutters, cut out the shapes and lay them on the trays. Scraps can be kneaded together for making more cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. At this stage they are still soft, so be careful handling them. Leave the cookies on the rack to cool completely before decorating.
Make the icing from 4 heaped tbsp of icing sugar and fershly squeezed lemon or orange juice. Add the juice a bit at a time, the icing should be soft, pliable but not too runny.
Decorate with Jelly Bellies, diamonds, soft pearls or any sprinkles.


Eddie decorating the cookies and sampling along the way
I have used Rodda's butter to make the dough for these cookies, if you are using any other brand of butter (unsalted), you might want to add a pinch of salt to the cookie mix.


These cookies won't last very long here, already one of the plates has been polished by my older son.
They are very easy to make, and kids will enjoy taking part.

Festive star cookies

14 comments:

  1. These look great, I've cheated with stars and bought a kit - so unlike me. But I will redeem myself on the week as we need to make biscuits for Monkey's school party! Looks like you had great fun.

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    1. I had a cheat kit for the gingerbread men last year, still have the cookie cutter from it, Big ambition is to make the gingerbread house too if I have time. I'm sure Monkey will be happy to make biccies with you.

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  2. Lovely thing to do Galina and they look really pretty.

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    1. Pretty and very sugar-loaded, but then we don't do them often (that's my excuse anyway). :)

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  3. Those are SO adorable!!!! I cant wait to have kids to make cookies with! So cute! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you! Baking with kids is fun but Oh so messy!

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  4. Fabulous, I love your idea of sticking sweets on cookies :)

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    1. I think half of Jelly bellies and diamonds ended up in their mouths rather than on cookies in the process of decorating. :)

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  5. those cookies look so bright and inviting to eat! great decorating xx

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  6. These look georgeos and my daughter thinks they look like snowflakes - so I have told her when it snows, we will make snowflakes!

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