Christmas may be a month away but I am already humming Christmas carols and fighting back the urge to get out the Chrissy lights. So instead I am cooking, here is my second baked gift for the “CSR Bake a Difference” fundraising effort. If you have just tuned in have a look at my previous post which explains what it is all about.  It is a very worthwhile cause and great fun, especially if you are like me and enjoy cooking, and feeding people!

For more great Christmas gift baking ideas check out Jeroxie website.  She will be compiling all the great “Bake a Difference” recipes and luscious pictures in one delicious location for all to view.

Shortbread Biscuit Ingredients:

450gm plain flour

pinch salt

230gm rice flour

230gm caster sugar

450gm butter (roughly chopped into pieces) 

Method:

Preheat oven to 140 degrees and line a tray with baking paper.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and continue to process until the mixture goes through the breadcrumb stage and then begins to ball.

Place a sheet of glad wrap on the bench.

Remove the dough from the food processor and divide in half.  Reserve one half for later. Place one portion of dough on the glad wrap. Using your hands form a ball with the dough and flatten it down slightly. Cover the dough with another piece of glad wrap the same size as the first. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough between the sheets. This method will prevent the dough from sticking to the bench or rolling pin and needs no additional flour. Continue to roll until the dough is ½ cm thick.

Remove the top piece of glad wrap and reserve for later. Use progressively sized star biscuit cutters to cut a series of shapes out of the dough. Repeat until all the dough is finished. Carefully lift the bottom piece of glad wrap slightly to peel away the star cookie.  Place the cookies on the baking tray.

Cook until golden, approximately 40mins.

Royal Icing Ingredients:

½ cups pure icing sugar

1 egg white

½ t/p lemon juice

Method:

In an electric mixer get the egg whites to soft peaks stage. Add one T/s at a time of the icing sugar, beating well between each addition. Continue to add the icing sugar until it is all incorporated. Add the lemon juice and turn off the mixer.

Place the icing sugar in a piping bag with a fluted nozzle.

Assembly:

This is the fun part. Using the largest star as a base, pipe the royal icing onto the centre of the biscuit and add a smaller star to the stack.

The royal icing acts like cement for the Christmas tree so put a lot on and keep the icing central and even so the tree stays straight.

Dust with icing sugar for a snowy effect.

Check out the CSR Bake a Difference website for more information on the event and how you can be involved.

I am going to make a cup of tea for dinner tonight.  I have eaten way too many "broken" star biscuits today. I usually don't eat along the way, but I made the mistake of "trying" one of the little stars while I was photographing them... lets just say it was lucky I made so many or I might have run short, they were so delicious with the royal icing.