The scrumptuously festive 2 in 1!

These little treats look great, are fun to make and are also perfectly adaptable to your preferred flavours or styles!

Here’s a little walk-thru of my version…

Ingredients

• 225g of unsalted butter, softened
• 110g of Caster Sugar
• 275g of Plain Flour
• 1 vanilla pod
• Nice, decorative things!

Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree…

1. Pre-heat oven to 170 and place a piece of grease proof paper ready on a large baking tray.

2. Pop the butter in a large bowl, and cream with a wooden spoon until soft. Stir in the sugar and stir.

3. Next add you vanilla and stir in fully

4. Sift in the flour and fold in firmly. Don’t be afraid to get a hand involved, I’m sure it will be necessary!

5. Pop the cookie dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little more flour on top and role it out to about 1/2 a centre metre thick with a rolling pin.

6. Take your cutter of choice, and cut out as many lovely shapes as your can!

7. Place each one on your prepared baking tray. Now take a chop stick and carefully drill a hole at the top of each cookie. Not too near the top mind! This is where you’ll thread the cookie to hang it on the tree. Too close to the top, and the weight will break it.

8. Bake for 15 minutes.

9. Leave to cool, and then comes the fun part. Decorate accordingly!

Woo hooooo!

For the trees, I lined the edge (and where I imagined the tinsel would be) with a stiff vanilla buttercream icing, then sprinkle the edge with edible green sparkles, silver balls and a nice red star at the top!

The snowmen? A little easier, though just as special. I melted down white chocolate, then smeared them in it facedown before sprinkling with edible glitter, icing sugar and these funky blue things my Mum found (along with the stars) in the local bits and bobs shop! Finally a few silver ball buttons, and the job is done!

10. Once your decorations have cooled and set, thread a nice festive ribbon through the hole you made and hang on your tree, or give to friends to hang on their own!

The nice thing about these is you can give them whatever twist you like- cinnamon? Nutmeg? Orange zest? Whatever tastes like Christmas in your home! And decorate whatever way works best for you or the people you love.

They look fantastic on any tree!

Big…

Or small…