I didn't realise that I was in such need for retail therapy until I went shopping to our (not so big) local town. The first thing I did was to buy myself some Cath Kidston pyjamas and these lovely Moshulu slippers! I only had two hours before Raj's Class 1 nativity play so I quickly knuckled down and got on with the task in hand - buying christmas presents for other people. Still it got me in a good mood and I got quite a lot done in the end. It's amazing what you can find when you actually look around - there were CD bargains in Woolies (Woolworths that is), lovely new calendars and diaries in Oxfam. I got some Willard Price books in an antiquarian bookshop, goalie gloves in the sport's shop and upmteen lovely stocking fillers elsewhere. So I think I'm mostly done what with the Amazon order too. I have to confess that I also bought something from them for myself - the Pride and Prejudice DVD (with Colin Firth ofcourse). I don't usually spend christmas shopping time and money on myself but I felt I deserved a treat or rather I wanted to treat myself with the plant dyeing money that I made this autumn - so there we are. I'm a happy bunny and I haven't even received any presents yet!
There isn't much to write about at the moment so I thought I'd share another christmas idea with you. Each year we make stained glass biscuits to hang on the christmas tree. They're basically a shortbread recipe with a hole in the middle that's filled with sweets. The sweets melt and when the biscuits hang on the tree they look lovely with the fairy lights shining through them. So if you want to make them you'll need:
- 6 oz plain flour
- 4 oz soft butter
- 2 oz sugar
- a packet of bog-standard boiled sweets
First take the sweets and smash them with the end of a rolling pin or hammer and put them aside:
Make the biscuit mixture by creaming the butter and sugar togther and adding the flour. Bring it together to form a ball and roll out thinly:
Then using whichever cutters you have cut out your shapes and then take a smaller cutter and cut a hole in the middle of the biscuits. I have some small shapes but I ended up using the lid of a bottle of echinacea for the circles!!
Don't overfill the centres as the sweets leak over the sides and don't forget to make holes for hanging the biscuits up.
Bake at about gas mark 4 for 10 - 13 minutes. I set my timer for ten minutes and checked them. The smaller ones overcooked at 13 mins but the big ones were just right.
Leave them to cool for a few minutes and then thread with gold string or whatever you fancy:
Then hang them up on the tree and eat the slightly overcooked ones. Raj and I made these together yesterday afternoon and he gave some to his teacher and friends today as it was the last day of term.
I'm feeing really relaxed at the moment and I think it's because my sister is hosting christmas lunch this year. We're going there for five days and boy am I looking forward to it - I've hosted christmas for the last two years and now it's someone else's turn to do the big supermarket shop and plan the menus.....I'll help ofcourse but I'm not running the show. Huge sighs of contentment..........
Hello Simmy! My mum is buying me Cath Kidston pyjamas for Christmas! I love your slippers. I will have a go at making the biscuits with my son if time permits.
Posted by: Simone | December 15, 2006 at 05:12 PM
Hope you have a great time at your sister's house. I wish our family was closer so that sometimes someone else could be in charge! Enjoy :)
Posted by: Ash | December 15, 2006 at 06:52 PM
I love your stained glass biscuits, they look so pretty, not sure I shall get round to them this year but shall have a go next year. I'm glad you enjoyed your shopping trip and that you bought something for yourself, you've earned a treat after all your hard work.
Posted by: Rowan | December 17, 2006 at 08:28 AM
Those cookies look amazing! And what great gifts they would make (except the slightly overcooked oens of course!) I too will try and remember these for next year ...
Posted by: Mae | December 17, 2006 at 02:19 PM
Hi Simmy, I have finally come for a visit and what is posted but lovely little cookies...just the kind of thing I like. I have been thinking of making these this year and now I am inspired.
Today I baked off my seasonal requirement of ginger bread christmas camels, and oatmeal shortbread. More baking every day this week.
If I bake too far in advance of the holidays we eat it all.
Posted by: undergroundbaker | December 18, 2006 at 07:41 AM
Simmy! Those cookies are magnificent!!
I run across stained glass cookies in cookbooks from time to time. They are so beautiful. I haven't ever made them though because they look like sooo much work.
You are the baking QUEEN!!
Posted by: Dannielle | December 21, 2006 at 05:39 PM