Honey and Cinnamon Christmas Trees

You can use a cookie cutter to cut these into any shapes, not just trees....

Ingredients:

- 200g butter at room temp
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/4 cup self raising flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons milk

Method:

- Line baking trays with baking paper. Use an electric mixer and beat butter and icing sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add honey. Beat until well combined.

- Place flours, cinnamon and milk in a bowl then add butter mixture. Mix until a dough forms. Put onto a well floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Divide dough in half and wrap each portion in glad wrap and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.

- Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one portion of dough out until about 5mm thick (they don't rise very much).

- Using a cutter, cut out biscuits and place on the trays. Re roll the left over dough and keep cutting out until it is all gone. Do this with your other portion of dough.

- Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool on tray for 5 minutes before putting on a wire rack to cool completely.

You can ice these or leave them plain, they are yummy either way. It also depends how big your cutters are as to how many you will get, but I got 30 out of my batch. :)

Hedgehog Slice

Ingredients:

- 250g pack plain biscuits
- 1/2 coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped up walnuts (I throw whole ones in the food processor and pulse)
- 2 TBSP cocoa
- 150g chocolate (I LOVE Aldi chocolate for cooking, it tastes great and its ultra cheap!)
- 100g butter, chopped
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use the reduced fat ones)

Chocolate topping:
- 150g chocolate
- 1 tbsp oil

Method:

- Spray lamington tin lightly with oil, and put down some baking paper, making sure you leave some hanging at the sides to lift off easily when you're done.

- Put biscuits in a snap lock bag, get a rolling pin out, and take out your anger crush them into small pieces but not 'ground up'.

- In a bowl, add biscuits, coconut, walnuts and cocoa. Give it a small mix to combine.

- In a saucepan, add your chopped up chocolate, butter and condensed milk, and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Let it cool a little bit.

- Stir your chocolate mixture into your dry ingredients.

-Using a metal spoon, press your mixture into the tray, and smooth the top. Put in the fridge to set for about 1 hour.


ICING - Melt your chocolate and oil in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Stirring often, but not constantly, until melted. Pour on top of your slice and let it set in the fridge until hard. Cut and YUM!

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup firmly packed Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bi-carb soda
- 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

- Preheat oven to 170 degrees with fan. Put patty pans into 12 muffins holes.

- Mix brown sugar, peanut butter, banana, and egg white in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

- Add the flour, baking powder, bi carb soda, and mix until JUST combined (will still be a little lumpy).

- Divide evenly between your patty pans and bake 15-20 minutes.

- Put on a wire rack to cool.

YUM!

Note: You can also add a touch of cinnamon if you like, its yummy.

Mini m&m cookies!!

Ingredients:

- 60g butter, softened
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-  1/2 tablespoons oil
- 3/4 cup Self Raising flour
- m & m minis

Method:

- Preheat oven to 200, or 180 fan-forced. Line baking tray.

- Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy (around 3 minutes)

- Add oil and flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms

- Use 1 teaspoon at a time, roll into balls, put on the tray, and flatten slightly.

- Then go nuts, I gave the kids sprinkles and mini m&m's in paper cupcake Patty's, and let them do their thing.

- Bake for around 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven and if you like them softer or crunchier.



                                                                    -OR-

100 COOKIE RECIPE!!

I didn't have the condensed milk on hand which is why I didn't do these ones, but I usually do.


Ingredients:

- 500g butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 cups Self Raising flour
- 1 can condensed milk

Method:

- Using electric mixer beat the butter and sugar and condensed milk

- Using a wooden spoon, add the flour and stir to combine (sometimes just add a cup less, then see how the consistency works for you)

- Then go nuts again, decorate with what you like, add Milo, choc chips, sultanas, whatever you like. You can divide the mixture into batches and freeze so you can make them when you want them.

- Roll into balls, or do that first then decorate, up to you, its very versatile. Flatten and leave spreading room.

- Bake 10 - 15 minutes, depending on your oven and crunchiness preference.

- Enjoy!

Cheese and Bacon Rolls

 My kids LOVE Cheese and Bacon Rolls, here is my recipe. I make double batches and freeze what I can salvage from when they were originally baked, Great for School Lunches.

CHEESE AND BACON ROLLS. (Single batch, works just as well if you double everything)

Miss 8's Roller Blade Party - Part 2 - The Food

Ok so I sat down with my little Miss 8 and asked her what she wanted for food at her party. Keeping in mind it was 9am - 12pm so it was more of a morning tea then anything else.
We ended up deciding on:
- Rainbow Jelly Cups
- Cake Pops
- Fruit Platter (this was MY idea!)
- Coloured Popcorn
- Tea Cups Biscuit things.
- Chocolate Coated Strawberries (Miss 8's favourite thing in the world!)
- Chips

Rice Bubble squares

I don't know about your kids,my mine LOVE those LCM bars you get at the shop. They are a ridiculous price and not very good for you at all, but goodness they are yummy. I make my own rice LCM bars though. Rice Bubble Squares. They are easy as, taste just as good, and a heck of a lot cheaper too. 

Caramel Cups

Today I made some afternoon tea to take with my to the School Fair Committee Meeting. Yes I am part of the small group of people that organise my children's school fair. I thought I would share the recipe with you as it is quick, easy (fail proof actually) and cheap.