littletree bakes...spiced christmas biscuits

A little mid-week treat for you all today, this biscuit recipe is so simple, quick and tasty you'll be making them all year round! This recipe is from the Cookie and Biscuit Bible, these are called stained glass window biscuits in the book because you can also cut a shape in the middle of these and add crushed boiled sweets before you bake to make a coloured window in your biscuit! I will explain more later...anyway, I made these last year and loved them then completely forgot to make anymore! But I made some a few weeks ago for my party and I was in love all over again, so today I'm am going to share the love with all of you...I hope you give them a try! Enjoy x

Ingredients

• 175g / 1+1/2 cups of Plain Flour
• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon or Mixed Spice
• 75g / 6 tbsp of Butter - Chilled and cut into cubes
• 75g / 1/2 cup of Caster Sugar
• 2 tbsp of Golden Syrup
• 1 Egg Yolk
• Crushed Boiled Sweets in bright colours (optional)

Method

• Put Flour, Bicarb, Cinnamon (or Mixed Spice) and Butter into a food processor, blend until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
• Next, add Sugar, Golden Syrup and Egg Yolk then blend again until the mix has started to cling together in a dough.
• Remove from blender and knead on a floured surface for a minute before wrapping in cling film, pop the dough into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• While you're waiting heat your oven to 180c/350f/Gas4 and line baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface about 5mm thick, cut out your shapes and place on the baking sheet. Leave a little room around each as they will spread a little.
• If you want to make some sweet windows then cut another small shape into your biscuits, be careful not to go too near the edges. Sprinkle in the crushed sweets to cover the area and then pop in the oven.
• Bake for around 10 minutes until golden, remove from oven and leave to cool for a minute or two, this makes them crispen up slightly which makes them easier to slide off.
• Leave to cool on a wire rack and there you have it! 

I served mine at the party with a hot spiced apple drink which worked well together, but dunked in a cup of tea is just as good! I f you wanted to use these as decorations then with a straw make a small hole near the top of your biscuits before baking, these may need re-marking after they come out of the oven before they cool. Thread string or ribbon through once cool and hey presto edible decorations! Well if they last that long...x