3 fun, easy Christmas dessert recipes to treat your family to, this weekend.
You don’t have to wait until Christmas Day to enjoy all those once-a-year treats. December is all about treating yourself to foods you wouldn’t normally eat. And after the year we’ve all had, give yourself the gift of as much joy as possible, this spirited season.
With kids on school holidays and businesses starting to close up for the year, it’s good to have a few delicious recipes up your sleeves. And it just wouldn’t be Christmas without gingerbread men. Let the scent of these sweet treats bake through your Adelaide Hills property.
Gingerbread men, quintessentially Christmas
Get all the family (or housemates) together for a gingerbread making session. Bake a snack to sit in the kitchen or extend the love to your neighbours, family, and friends. They’re the perfect Christmas gift.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 350g plain flower
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 125g butter
- 175g brown sugar
- 1 free-range egg
- 4 tbsp golden syrup.
And, whatever you want to decorate with. Icing, cake decorations and sprinkles are a go-to. Once you have everything, first, sift the flour with bicarbonate soda, ginger and cinnamon into a food processor. Add the butter and blend, until breadcrumb-like. Stir in the sugar.
Gently whisk the egg and golden syrup, then add to the food processor. Mix until smooth, tip out carefully and knead for a few seconds. Enclose in clingwrap and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C while lining two baking trays with baking paper. On an even floured surface, roll the dough to ½ cm thickness and use gingerbread cutters to shape your cookies. Place on baking tray and cook for 12-15 minutes. Cool for a further 10 minutes and move to a wire rack. Once cool, continue to decorate as you please (get ready for some friendly family competition).
Christmas shortbread
Love a sweet treat with your cup of tea? A homemade shortbread stack is a tasty treat, a thoughtful gift and a fun, family cook-up.
Grab these ingredients:
- 250g unsalted butter
- 125g caster sugar
- Zest and juice of 2 oranges
- 250g plain flour
- 125g rice flour
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice.
To start, combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl, until fluffy. Stir in the orange zest and juice, then sift both flour and mixed spice. Once smooth, shape the dough into a circle, place in gladwrap and let it chill for an hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 170°, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ½ cm thick. Cut in circles, stars, ovals or any shape you desire. Place on a lined baking tray and cook for 10-12 minutes. Rest out of the heat for 10 minutes and move to a container (if they haven’t already been swallowed up).
Christmas cracker
Can’t pick between sweet and savoury? Now you don’t have to, with Christmas cracker in your fridge. It’s crackers, doused in caramel and chocolate, with festive sprinkles on top. You’re going to have to stop yourself from eating this whole tray. We’ve warned you.
And it’s the easiest treat to make. Just buy these ingredients:
- Standard salted crackers (make sure they’re salted)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- T tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate.
First, pre-heat the oven to 200°. Line a large tray with baking paper and tile single crackers over its entire surface (just one layer). Place the brown sugar, butter and salt in a saucepan and cook for three to five minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla extract, and pour over the crackers. Cover the entire tray, evenly over the crackers. Bake in the oven for five minutes.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, then pour over the crackers. Chill in the fridge for one hour. Remove from fridge, ‘crack’ it off, piece by piece or cut into bits. Bets are, the Nitschke team will be cooking up this delectable dessert.
Want to know what else the Nitschke team of real estate agents are dishing up? Follow us on Instagram to get a look into our kitchens, this holiday season. Our DMs are always open for your Adelaide Hills property questions.
