Well, this is my last post in the Holiday Open House series…. but not my last post about Christmas! I’ll be doing lots more posts on what we are doing for the next weeks before Christmas. Most of it will be very similar to what I’ve written about in this series, but with more current photos. I just love this time of year!

We do lots in the kitchen at this time of the year! Most of the gifts we give to other friends and families are made in the kitchen. Each year I do something a little different. Some years it may be a gift basket with baked goodies. One year I sewed up these cute little bags and put a variety of cookies in them:

Something I have done many times as well is make gingerbread houses and sleighs to give away. We also always do one for ourselves, and one year the children each made their own mini house or sleigh. So much work, but such fun!

We have our favorite recipes for Christmas cookies, some of which I will share later. I let the kids help with the cookie cutters and then let them decorate their own. I’m not sure where most of the icing goes - in their tummies or on the cookies! In any case, it makes everything quite colorful! LOL!

A few years ago my best friend from the US, introduced us to the wonderful world on making chocolates! We really got into it. Here are some the kids made:

Another tradition is to make Christmas playdo. Not only do we make a batch each of red and green, but we add glitter to it as well! The kids love playing with it and it is quite special even if the glitter does go everywhere….!

Now for some recipes…..

 

Gingerbread the Easy Way

 

250g unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup soft brown sugar

½ cup golden syrup

2 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups plain flour

½ cup self-raising flour

2 tbsps ground ginger

2 tsps bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 180C.

Mix butter, brown sugar and syrup. Beat till light and creamy.

Add eggs gradually; beat very well.

Add dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough is formed. You may need to tip the mixture out of the bowl and finish this step by hand.

Roll out the dough and make shapes.

Place on tray and put in fridge until ready to bake.

Bake until light brown.

Allow it to cool very well before you decorate it.

 

 

Royal Icing

 

For Gingerbread Houses

2 egg whites

2 ½ cups pure icing sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

Beat egg whites until thick and gradually add icing sugar and lemon juice until a thick spreadable consistency.

Keep covered or it will dry.

 

Best Christmas Shortbread

 

2 ½ cups plain flour

2 tbsps rice flour

4 tbsps caster sugar

250g butter at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 160C

Place all ingredients in order in food processor.

Roll out and make shapes.

Mark each shape with a fork.

Bake for approx 20 min until pale fawn color.