| Santa's Favourite Stocking Fillers |
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Just as this year marked the stay-at-home vacation, this Christmas is all about making your own unique gifts and stocking fillers. We've got some cracking ideas that are sure to suit all tastes and pockets.
Festive Spiced Biscuits - These look great as tree or table decorations or make an ideal thank you gift for a favourite teacher. Sift 350g plain flour, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and rub in 100g butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs, then stir in 100g Zylosweet and 75g light brown sugar. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add 1 egg and 4 tablespoons of Agave Nectar. Mix together to form a dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface and roll out to about 1 cm thickness. Cut out the biscuits using cookie cutters - stars or tree shapes work best and make a small hole with a skewer at the top of each biscuit. Place on a greased baking sheet and pop in the fridge for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 170 C. Remove from the fridge and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow the biscuits to cool slightly and then transfer to a wire rack. When cooled decorate with a little icing and some Munchy Seeds Vanilla mix, Nakd Amazing Orange raisins or some silver and gold glitter balls. Tie a ribbon through the hole in the biscuit and use to decorate the Christmas tree or give as a gift in the lead up to Christmas. These biscuits should last 4-5 days unless temptation is too much for you!
Rocky Road Squares - these are naughty but a firm family favourite! Line a shallow 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Gently melt 500g Divine chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stir in 10 marshmallows (cut into pieces) and 30g Munchy seeds Vanilla Mix and 50g of pecans, almonds and walnuts all roughly chopped. Pour the mixture into a tin and smooth the surface. Leave to set for 2 hours and then using a warm knife cut the cooled mixture into 1 inch squares. These look especially pretty in a small round box - line the box by cutting a band of paper twice as long as its circumference and slightly deeper than the sides. Fold it concertina fashion and fit inside the box. Trim the collar into a zigzag to form a decorative edge and secure a ribbon or colourful tape around the outside of the box.
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