Cookies are a great last-minute gift; it’s lovely to arrive at other peoples’ houses bearing something homemade, and so Harry and I have been busy making cookies using the dough we froze earlier in the month. First up, deliciously festive oatmeal cookies with a holiday twist, which we’ve packaged up with bells, ribbon and candy canes.
I used the fruit & oat cookie recipe from the wonderful Hummingbird Bakery cookbook, and simply doubled the measures of spices for a holiday feel. Drizzled lemon icing and a scattering of white chocolate stars complete the cookie and raise them above the everyday… I’ve added the recipe at the bottom of the post; for the icing just mix together icing/powdered sugar with pure lemon juice until it drips off a fork, then drizzle lightly back and forth over the cooled cookies. Our white chocolate stars are from here.
And two other cookie ideas from our kitchen for inspiration, both using the basic no-spread gingerbread recipe which I posted here; firstly Twinkle-Toe Gingerbread Men; the buttons are tiny chocolate beans held in place with a dab of icing; bakers’ twine scarves and a dusting of rianbow glitter on the hands and feet make them suitably christmassy….
And secondly a forest of decorated Gingerbread Spruce Trees, made by dusting the tops with a blend of edible food colouring powder (seen below), plus a dab of silver food powder, followed by a drizzle of icing and some carefully placed white shimmer baubles. These were the first to disappear when we had friends and family over last weekend; a sure sign of their attractiveness!
We’ll be out and about this weekend, delivering cookies and celebrating the season with friends; the blustery wind and rain make it slightly less festive than we’d hoped for, but are a very good excuse to stay inside in the warm.
Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are and whatever you’re doing!
Basic oat & raisin cookie recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery;
(if you’re working in US cups & measures, try Martha’s gold-plated recipe here)
- 270g unsalted butter
- 160g caster sugar
- 160g soft dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 380g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 tsp of ground cinnamon (I doubled this, and also added a pinch of nutmeg and allspice)
- 110g rolled oats
- 220g raisins
To make, simply mix together the butter and sugars, before stirring in the eggs and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, sieve together the flour, bicarb and cinnamon, then add the oats and stir together. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir into a ball. Roll into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet, well-spaced as they will spread. Bake for around 10 minutes at 170C/325F 9slightly less for chewier cookies and longer for crispy ones).