Recipe ideas on how to use your star cookie cutter set!
BASIC SHORTBREAD
500g butter, softened
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
¼ cup (40g) icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
41/2 cups (675g) plain flour
½ cup (75g) rice flour
ROYAL ICING
13/4 cups (280g) icing sugar, sifted
1 egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Red food colouring
Coloured sparkling cachous, sprinkles to decorate
Method
1 Beat butter sugars and vanilla in a large bowl of electric mix with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Stir in sifted flours to form a firm dough.
2 Knead gently on a floured surface until smooth. Divide dough in half. Wrap each in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
3 ROYAL ICING: mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl, mix well. Cover surface with plastic wrap.
Head into store and pick up your Christmas Star Cookie Cutters for just $2.50!*
NAME DECORATIONS roll dough between sheets of baking paper to 1cm thick. Using the 5cm star cutter, cut 8 stars. Using a skewer, indent a hole at the top of the star, going all the way through. Place on 2 oven trays lined with baking paper. Bake in 130°C oven for 20 minutes or until light golden. Cool on trays. Using ready rolled fondant, cut 8 x 4cm stars, using a skewer, indent a hole at the top of the star, place on biscuits so the holes are aligned. Using the writing gel, write your guests or children’s names. Thread some ribbon through the holes.
STAR COOKIES PLACE SETTING roll dough between sheets of baking paper to 1cm thick. Using the 14cm star cutter, cut 8 stars. Place on 4 oven trays lined with baking paper. Bake in 130°C oven for 25 minutes or until light golden. Cool on trays. Tint 2/3 of the royal icing with food colouring. Spread onto biscuits. Place remaining icing into small piping bag fitted with 1mm tube, decorate stars. Sprinkle with cachous and sprinkles.
PECAN HUGGERS roll quarter quantity of dough between sheets of baking paper ½ cm thick. Using 8cm star cutter, cut 12 stars. Place stars on 2 oven trays lined with baking paper. Place a pecan in centre of the star, gently fold over arms. Trim legs slightly to a point. Using a skewer make eyes and a nose. Bake in pre-heated 130°C oven for 15 minutes or until light golden. Cool on trays. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
STAINED GLASS BISCUITS roll half quantity of dough between sheets of baking paper to ½ cm thick. Using 7.5cm star cookie cutter, cut 12 stars, using 4cm star cookie cutter cut stars in centre of the 7.5cm star. Remove centre dough. Place stars on 2 oven trays lined with baking paper. Fill centre of star cookies with 24 crushed boiled lollies. Bake in a pre-heated 130°C oven for 20 minutes or until light golden. Cool on trays. Arrange on a serving plate or cake stand in a wreath shape. Decorate with a ribbon
STAR STENCIL using a homemade sponge or store bought plain cake, top with star cookie cutter to your design. Dust liberally with icing sugar then gently remove star cutters.
EASY FRUIT MINCE PIES grease a 12-hole patty pan with butter. Cut 12 x 7cm fluted rounds from 2 sheets shortcrust pastry. Gently press pastry into base of patty pans. Fill with 3 teaspoons store bought fruit mince. Using the 6cm star cutter, cut 12 stars from another 2 sheets of shortcrust pastry. Place pastry stars onto fruit mince and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake in a pre-heated 200°C oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.
CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES top cupcakes with vanilla butter cream and decorate with small decorated shortbread stars. Embellish with gold and silver edible sprinkles.
T&C’s apply
*Only $2.50 when you purchase a participating magazine (The Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, Woman’s Day It’s Your Day, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, Country Style, Gourmet Traveller,Australian House & Gardern, Inside Out, Take 5, NW, Real Living, The Australian Women’s Weekly Food and Good Health) or $9.99 when purchased separately. On Sale 28/11/2019 to 29/12/2019 or while stocks last. Only available at Woolworths. Not in conjunction with any other offer.