December

Can be treaded on to a tree to decorate or just eaten.

Ingredients
For the biscuits
350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
100g/3½oz butter
175g/6oz soft brown sugar
1 free-range egg, beaten
4 tbsp golden syrup
packet wrapped fruit-flavoured boiled sweets in different colours


 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the biscuits, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and ginger
together in a bowl.
3. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs,
then stir in the sugar.
4. In another bowl, beat together the egg and golden syrup, then pour
this mixture into the flour mixture and mix to make a smooth dough,
kneading lightly with your hands.


 

5. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface to about 0.5cm/¼in
thick, then cut into shapes using a selection of Christmas-themed
cookie cutters.
6. Transfer the biscuits to baking sheets lined with baking paper.
7. Cut out shapes in the centre of each biscuit, making sure you leave
a good edge all around the biscuit. Completely fill the hole in each
biscuit with crushed boiled sweets.
8. If you want to traed it on a tree make a hole at the top of each
biscuit using a drinking straw so that you will be able to thread a
ribbon through it later. Bake the biscuits in the oven for 10-12
minutes, or until golden-brown.

9. Remove the biscuits from the oven. While they're still warm, check
that the holes are still there - if not, push a straw through again.
Do not remove the biscuits from the baking tray until they have cooled
because the boiled sweets need to harden. Once the sweets have
hardened, gently lift the biscuits onto a wire rack with a palette
knife to finish cooling.
10. Thread ribbons through the holes in the biscuits to make loops for
hanging from the tree.