Christmas cookies (eggless)

A plate of sugar cookies cut in fun shapes add joy to the table at any time of the year ! During the Christmas season it looks all the more special and appealing and I just have to make it year after year...Christmas just does not feel complete without making a batch of these to have at home and share with all the children who bring joy into my world of food ! You'd be surprised to know that despite making it each year,I do not own any cookie cutters in Christmasy shapes...they are very kindly given,to me on loan by two people who own an amazing array of shapes and do not mind me dipping in every now and then into their treasure chest of cookie cutters..thank you Priya and Divya !!!

I also had the privilege of baking cupcakes with these 2 lovely ladies along with another friend and firm foodie Aishwarya...for the children of St.Antony's school run by Mr.Rayan Rosario...he and his wife Brenda along with their family have been doing some amazing work in educating these children and we were so happy,thanks to the initiative of another friend JJ Chakola, to be able to contribute in our own small way for the Christmas celebrations held for these children on the 21st of Dec at the school premises.Many others played Santa on this day by donating toys and cash and I hope we will be able to bring smiles to these kids' faces year after year...if you would like to make a donation you can contact him at 98940 75500

While I have come across many sugar cookie recipes...this one by Rachel Allen is very simple and I like the fact that it is egg less and is very easy to make...another favourite is also Nigella Lawson's sugar cookie recipe ! This recipe has only butter ,sugar and flour,however I suggest using vanilla...simply love the aroma wafting out of my oven!!!

I usually do make Santa , Reindeer  and Snowman cookies too...this year I made a very small batch and also not in time for the 25th...but then again who's complaining ?!!!? ;D

Recipe for sugar cookies

Ingredients

225 g butter (at room temp)

110g castor sugar

275g flour (please use any wholemeal flour of your choice)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C

Beat the butter until it is soft and light

Add the sugar and beat until it is fluffy

Add in the vanilla

Sift in the flour and fold in ,then mix with your hands to form a dough

Empty the dough onto a roll of cling film and fold the cling film over...flatten it to a disc and refrigerate for 30mts.

Make sure you have a clean surface for rolling,dust the surface with plain flour

Take a little at a time and roll out with a rolling pin...smear the rolling pin with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to it

Roll it out to about a quarter inch thickness

Dip the chosen cookie cutters into flour before cutting out the shapes

Cut out the shapes,it should lift off easily...transfer to the baking tray...if you have trouble with the shapes breaking,just re roll them a bit thicker and it should be fine :))

There is no need to grease the tray as there is enough butter content in the cookie dough !

Bake until golden...let cool before icing them.

Icing

5 Tbsp icing sugar (approx)

1 tsp of hot water

Mix it together...this being a very simple glace icing...you can make it as thick or runny as you like by just adjusting the ratio of sugar and water...I usually don't measure this and go by the consistency that I want !

Hint: Make sure you don't knead it too much before rolling .

These are the pics of the cupcakes made by us for the kids at St.Antony's..300 in total,100 by Divya, 75 each by Priya and Aishwarya and 50 cupcakes made by me.

The children at St.Antony's school

 

Priya's colour full cupcakes

Divya's Christmas cupcakes

Aishwarya's pretty cupcakes

 

Weinacht Stollen

While we are talking about all the things we love at Christmas,I must mention to you the one other delicious loaf of cake/bread that finds it's way to my table every December...I know it by it's German name, Weinacht Stollen...It's a loaf of bread made for winter filled with dried fruit and rum...to help keep up your energy in the cold winter months...over time it became traditional food to be savoured during the Christmas season...now families order it well in advance to send it to loved ones all over the world and also to fill their own larder in the festival season !

The process of making Stollen

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/stollen-recipe/index.html
If ever you want to make it....this seems to be the best recipe !

However,if you are like me,very content to have it brought to you...you know what to ask for when someone is visiting from Germany during Christmas or if you happen to be travelling in that area yourself ! Do bring back home, a loaf of Stollen,you will love it !!!

The remaining bit of Stollen in my home

My family and I love the delicious flavour of spices and orange and the coating of confectioner's sugar,that hits the perfect sweet note at the end...it's great for breakfast or in the evening with a cup of hot coffee...that's how I was taught to eat it and it's perfect for this cold December weather !!! Thank goodness there are lots of people in the family to share it with or I might end up eating a great deal more than what I should !!!!

Why don't you ask your nearest baker if he/she can make you one of these delightful loaves....you never know...they just might grant your wish !!!! Cheers !

Oh...you will let me know if they do won't you ?!!...after all ,it's the fair thing to do.... ;)))

Two tone Christmas cookies

I adore everything about the Christmas season...the colours , the stories of sharing and caring , the treats , the beautiful tree all lit up, the special meals, the weather , the christmasy songs whether belted out by Frank Sinatra or carollers coming to your home at night and sharing their melodies...I love it all ! My favourite memories of Christmas as a child was of course the sweet little tree that mum always had with the gifts peeking underneath it but also of carol singers landing up at our doorstep and we waiting sleepily in our 

nightwear and offering them a warm drink and some home made cake and savouries...what a great feeling !

As an adult the reasons I look forward to Christmas is mainly the opportunity to give...to be able to bring cheer to the ones most deserving,in your own small way...I hold very close to my heart the memory of baking cupcakes along with some dear friends,for the small children of a school run by a very large hearted human being...I look forward to re-living that experience again this year !

We also look forward to the amazing array of home baked goodies that show up at our doorstep every year...how fortunate to have such great friends across the seas who never fail to fill my larder with their yummy bites of confectionery that taste of love and hugs !

I share with you a recipe given to me by a friend...quite easy once you do make it,not to mention delicious !!!

Recipe for two tone cookies

Ingredients

3/4 c soft butter
2/3 c sugar 
1 tbsp sugar 
1 tsp baking powder 
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence/extract (extract is more superior)
1/2 tsp salt 
1 large egg 
2 c  flour (you may use wholemeal flour instead)
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat  butter and 2/3 cup sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, egg, 1 1/2 cups flour, and 2 tbsps water; beat until blended.
2. Place half of dough in medium bowl; stir in 1/2 cup flour. Into dough remaining in large bowl, stir cocoa.
3. Grease and flour 2 large cookie sheets or baking trays. On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll the vanilla dough  about 1/8th " thick. With floured 4" star cookie cutter, cut dough into as many cookies as possible.
4. Place vanilla cookies on 1 cookie sheet, about 1/4 inch apart. Reserve trimmings. Repeat with chocolate dough, placing chocolate cookies on second cookie sheet.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With 2" star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out small stars in the centre of each vanilla and chocolate cookie. Fit a small vanilla cookie cutout into centre of each chocolate cookie and a small chocolate cookie cutout into centre of each vanilla cookie to make two-tone cookies.
6. Sprinkle cookies lightly with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake cookies on 2 oven racks 12 to 15 minutes until golden, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking time.
7. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool. 
8. Continue to  repeat with remaining vanilla and chocolate doughs and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
9. Store cookies in an airtight container...not that I expect them to  last very long ;))))

Note :You can also make these with any other shaped cookie cutter you have,hearts,flowers,leaves....although a Santa cutter may be a bit of a challenge ;D