My list of recipes to make from food bloggers is multiplying quite happily. I know I keep saying "I must try
this" or "I'm definitely making
that", and I have the feeling that I'm not the only one!
Sometimes you see a
recipe that you have to make immediately. If not, you go to bed only to wake up at 4.00am to go through the cupboards one more time just to double check that you
really haven't
got that
one particular ingredient required.
There are some
recipes that you can take your time with and make a few changes to suit your own tastes.
Then we have the
ones that you have to save for just the right moment, a special occasion or for the holidays.
I have waited patiently for a year to make
Rosie's adorable
Christmas pudding cookies, and then I made them twice! I made a few small changes to her recipe. The main part of the cookie is almost the same, only much smaller - 2" instead of 4". The white icing was replaced by white chocolate, and I really wanted to use some red mini M&M's for the berries, but couldn't find any. I've renamed them and I hope Rosie won't mind!
Ready to be adorned with hollyTriple Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cookies, Inspired By RosieRecipe adapted from Rosie Bakes a 'Peace' of Cake150g (5 oz) self-raising flour & a little for dusting
25g (1 oz) cocoa powder
100g (4 oz) butter, cut into small cubes
75g (3 oz) soft brown sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
75g (3 oz) Mayan Gold Green & Black chocolate, or any dark chocolate
75g (3 oz) Cadbury’s chocolate mini buttons, from the baking section in a supermarket, or any chocolate chips
Using a food processor, chop the Mayan Gold chocolate (or dark chocolate) into small pieces, remove from processor and put to one side.
Into the same processor, add the flour, cocoa powder, cubes of butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Pulse until you have a fine mixture. Add the chopped Mayan chocolate and the egg, then pulse until the dough comes together. Remove the dough. wrap in cling film and place in the fridge, for at least an hour to firm up until you are ready to roll it out.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
Lightly dust a work surface with a little flour, unwrap your dough and roll out to about 5mm (¼ in) thickness. Cut out rounds with your cookie cutter and place on a baking tray that has been lined with baking parchment. You can use up all the scraps by re-rolling them. Push the mini buttons or chocolate chips into the dough to resemble currants, I only put them onto the bottom half of the cookies.
Place into the oven and cook for between 10-15 minutes, you want them just browning. Leave to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking tray before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
For The Christmas Decoration
Roughly 4-6 oz good white chocolate
Some ready-to-roll icing or fondant, coloured green
A tube of red icing for the berries, or use red mini M&M's if you can find them
A tube of white icing to stick the leaves onto the cookies
Instructions
Melt the white chocolate and carefully spoon it over the cookies. You want the chocolate on just one side and it should only cover the top half, above the chocolate drops/chips. Place onto a wire rack to harden.
Roll out the green icing/fondant and cut out holly leaves with a cutter. Leave to harden.
To AssembleUsing a tiny drop of the white icing from the tube, stick the holly leaves onto the white chocolate.
Place 3 small drops of red icing near the leaves, to resemble the holly berries.
(Printable Recipe)
