It is two days before Christmas. I am tucked away on my lovely blue sofa in my pink fluffy dressing gown listening to the Bee Gee’s ‘How Deep Is Your Love?’ playing on Smooth FM.
I might ask that question of myself for myself. One currently has a ‘heavy cold’ and is unable to appreciate the sights, sounds and excitement of the holiday season. I could barely get up this morning, and so I did not. When the Lemsip and ibuprofen kicked in I went into work for an hour and then scurried home again. I am hoping that this wretched viral illness leaves me by tomorrow or else I will not be able to enjoy time with my family.

However, earlier in the week, I was full of beans and bounding with energy. I made biscuit decorations for our Christmas tree. They are beautiful smelling ornaments containing ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

Ingredients

220g plain flour
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
100g soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon milk
150g butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC/160oC. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour, spices, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the brown sugar and break up any lumps with your hands. Add the milk and butter, then use your hands to bring the mixture together as dough. Rest the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a 5mm thickness.
4. Cut out the biscuits using a circular cutter or any other shaped desired. To hang them on the tree once they are made, use a piping noble tip that has a 3 – 4mm opening, and cut a hole at one end of each biscuit. These holes will be used to thread ribbon through once baked and cooled.
5. Place the biscuits on the lined baking tray with at least a 2 – 3 cm gap between them. Bake them for 15 -18 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to touch. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.
6. Thread the pre-cut ribbons or strings through the holes in the biscuits and tie the ends together. Hang the biscuits on your Christmas tree to decorate.