Yummy! Quick and easy holiday cookie recipes
Not only do these chocolate coated gingerbread biscuits and candy cane cookies look cute, but they are also easy to make.
There are just a few more days to go until Christmas, which means there isn't much time left to finalise your lunch menu.
If you are looking for last-minute holiday-themed recipes, then food blogger Landi Govender has you covered with these cookie recipes.
First up are her candy cane cookies.
"For the flavours I chose chocolate and vanilla and Peppermint, I have to say I love both, be careful with the amount of peppermint extract you add to your dough, you don't want it tasting like toothpaste," Landi advises.
Candy Cane cookies recipe
Ingredients
250g butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup cornflour
1 tsp vanilla essence
A few drops of peppermint essence
2 1/4 cup cake flour
Red food colouring
Method
1. Preheat the oven at 180°C. Line baking sheets with baking paper.
2. Cream butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla essence and sift in dry ingredients. Mix until combined and the dough is smooth.
4. Divide and remove half the dough from the bowl and add in vanilla essence. Carefully add the red food colouring and Peppermint essence to the remaining dough. Mix on low until the colour is evenly distributed.
5. Roll out cookie dough into a 10cm rope. Do the same with a piece of the red dough (make sure the ropes are the same length).
6. Place the ropes next to each other and twist together. Transfer to the baking sheet and curve the top of the dough into a candy cane shape.
Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies a few centimetres apart.
7. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes and allow to cool before moving to a cooling rack.
8. Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate Coated Gingerbread Biscuits
These gingerbread cookies are a must-try!
"These biscuits, according to a few people that tasted them say that it’s the best cookie I’ve ever made! This is a pretty big statement but one bite of this crunchy ginger biscuit coated in chocolate and you would agree!" says Landi.
Ingredients
100g salted butter, cubed
100g golden syrup
80g demerara sugar
250g self-raising flour
2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg yolk, beaten
200g good quality milk chocolate
50g good quality white chocolate, optional
Candied ginger, optional
Gold leaf, optional
Method
Heat the oven to 190C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter, sugar, and golden syrup and leave to cool.
Mix the flour, ground ginger and bicarb in a bowl. Gradually stir in the cooled sugar mixture and the egg yolk and knead gently to make a dough.
Roll the dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking tray with a gap between each to allow for spreading. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for a min, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cooled coat in milk chocolate and decorate as you fancy!
Store in an airtight container.
BONUS!
Blondie Pies
"These are the pies you make for those who can’t stand the sight of fruit mince pies – those meaning my two kids and husband!" Landi says.
These blondie pies with marzipan, cranberries, and delicious Callebaut chocolate taste as good as they look.
Ingredients
Pastry:
225g cold butter, cubed
350g cake flour
100g caster sugar
icing sugar, to dust
Blondie Batter:
125g unsalted butter
200g white chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
150g castor sugar
100g cake flour
75g self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
100g marzipan, finely chopped or grated
100g dried cranberries
50g Pecan nuts, optional
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 C°.
Pastry:
To make the pastry, rub the cold butter into the cake flour, then mix in the caster sugar and a pinch of salt.
Combine the pastry into a ball. The dough will be firm. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
Line 2 muffin tins with silicone baking cups or paper cups, press small amounts of the pastry into each cup, and set aside.
Blondie:
Place butter, chocolate, and vanilla paste in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.
Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and creamy. Stir into butter, chocolate, and vanilla mixture. Fold in combined sifted flours and salt. Add in marzipan and cranberries and fold till combined. Spoon mixture into pastry cups.
Using the extra dough, cut out shapes and place them over each of the blondie pies. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
Remove the pies from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Once cooled dust with icing sugar and serve!
ALSO READ: This Sprite pie is the latest TikTok craze
Visit The Tocka Blog for more festive season recipes.
Main image: supplied by The Tocka Blog