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Santa’s Christmas Cookies
Make as a treat for Santa or hang on the Christmas tree...
Makes 18 small cookies, approximately depending on size of cutterPrep: 40 minutes, plus chilling timeCook: 10-12 minutes
Ingredients:60g light soft brown sugar75g unsalted butter3 tbsp golden syrup200g plain flour¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda2 tsp ground ginger (optional) or 1 tsp vanilla extract1 tbsp Onken Natural Set yogurt
Yogurt Icing:300g royal icing sugar, sieved50ml Onken Natural Set yogurt
Equipment: Christmas cutters of your choice, or make cardboard templatesSmall piping bag and small plain nozzle (optional)
Method:1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
Place the sugar, butter and golden syrup in a pan. Sir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. If using vanilla extract, add at this stage.
In a medium bowl mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger (if using). Make a well in the centre and pour in the melted mixture. Stir in the yogurt and mix with a wooden spoon and then with your hands to form a dough.
Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes until firm.
Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5.
Line a baking tray/s with baking parchment.
Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin, and roll the dough out to the thickness of a pound coin. Or, for best results lay the dough between two sheets of baking parchment and roll out as above.
Use Christmas cutters of your choice to cut out the shapes, rerolling the trimmings. (If hanging the cookies, see the tip below).
Bake for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown. Leave to harden on the tray before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and slowly beat in the yogurt until a thick consistency is formed. Chill in the fridge to thicken.
Transfer the icing to a small piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle if you have one, or disposable plastic bag with the tip cut off and use to decorate the cookies.
Allow the icing to set on the cookies for at least 10 minutes before eating.
TIPS:To hang the cookies, before baking, use a skewer or tip of a knife to make a small hole in the top of each cookie. If the hole closes too much after baking, while still warm increase the size using the knife or skewer again. When cool, thread a ribbon through the hole and use to decorate.The icing for these cookies will set completely firm after a few hours.