Xmas cookies

Last weekend, I decided to make some xmas cookies. So I spend the day baking like crazy, like my life depended on it... and it was rather fun and succesful. For once, I did not fail in baking. Nothing was burnt, my house is still standing and that is always a bonus! I gotta say, the house smelt heavenly of buttery vanilla cookies and ginger from the gingerbread. Nothing could be better, except an alcoholic ginger beer of course, this Ninja must go raid her neighbour's fridge again.. mmm!

I took some cookies to work today. I am so glad that my co-workers like the cookies. Plenty more where they came from.


Shortbread cookies adapted from Xmas Recipes
Ingredients
250g softened butter
150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
375g (2 ½ cups ) plain flour
Pinch salt

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour and salt and add gradually to the butter mixture. Wrap in plastic wrap or greaseproof paper and chill for 2 – 3 hours in the fridge.
Preheat oven to moderate (180degC/160deg fan-forced)). Grease two biscuits trays or line with baking paper.
Remove from fridge. If it seems brittle, soften by kneading gently with your hands. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface and cut with angel and star-shaped cutters.
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until lightly coloured. Remove from oven. Cool biscuits on cake racks before dusting with icing sugar or decorating with white frosting and silver cachous and M&Ms.

Gingerbread Cookies Copied from Mrs Fred's Ninjabread Men recipe.
Ingredients
2/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 egg
3/4 cup of molasses
3 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking soda

Quietly cream together the shortening, sugar, spices and salt. Add egg and mix thoroughly, add the molasses and blend into the night.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add the molasses misture with deadly accuracy and stir till blended and then chill it in the fridge.
Moving like the wind, preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit. If you do not the conversion in celcius, just wing it.. nuh, I am joking with you, don't guess, do google it!
Using a third quater of the dough at a time, roll into 1/8 inch or slightly thicker on light flour pastry cloth or baking paper with a rolling pin.
Release the Ninjas. Transfer them carefully into a greased baking sheet and repeat remaining dough.
Err, You may use your remainder dough for Xmas gingerbread men since it is Christmas. Heheh ;)
Place in the oven and let them fight, bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on rack and decorate the survivors!!