It's that time again.... Melted Snowman Cookies

Time for me to start getting all excited over Christmas!!
So far I have made my own bauble wreath (I'll pop up a pic just for the sake of showing it off).
Also my first Christmas cooking creations - Melted Snowman Sugar Cookies.
These were an idea taken from Yoyomax12 (youtube)... 
They are done with marshmallows, starburst candies (carrot nose), royal icing and Wilton pre-made icing tubes - pretty simple stuff and they really come to life when you put their arms etc on!


I have put the recipe at the end because I have been asked a few times about it - I take no credit for it though! It's not at all my own recipe.

Cookies:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract 

1. stir together flour, baking powder and salt together, set aside
2. Cream together sugar and butter, add eggs and vanilla and mix until fluffy.
Gradually add flour mixture a little at a time. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.
3. Heat oven to 350F. Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper and cut out into shapes or pinch off portion of dough and form into desired shape (about 1/4" thick)
Bake until edges are golden brown about 10-15 minutes depending on your cookie sheet

and my bauble wreath...

Spooky Cupcakes!

So here are some pretty awesome cupcakes I made for work for Halloween.
Everything on them I made.
And here's the decorating directions.
You will need:
Starburst Candies
Milk Arrowroot Biscuits
Black Icing (I used Wilton Writing Gel)
Green Buttercream Icing
Grey Icing (with a small amount of darker grey set aside)
Toothpicks
Red Gel Food Colouring (Wilton - for the blood)
Oreo cookies (crushed)

Make light grey icing to a thin slightly runny consistancy.
Dip 3/4 of each biscuit into grey set aside, take a toothpick, dip into darker grey icing and swirl through iced biscuit to create stone look. Leave aside to set. Write on "gravestones" when icing is set.

Take 1 pink Starburst, warm in the microwave for approx 5-10 seconds until pliable. Shape into arm/hand - insert toothpick into arm, set aside to firm. Paint on spots of red gel for blood.

Take 2 orange Starburst, warm, roll together and shape into pumpkin, using toothpick to mark segments - top with small amount of green icing for stalk.

Using a grass tip, top cupcakes with green icing. Insert un-iced end of biscuit into cupcake, sprinkle cookie crumbs in front of biscuit and insert hands or pumpkins.

Mini Lasagne Cups

I made these when I was almost out of things in the cupboard - but they were delish!

You will need:

Fresh or dried lasagne sheets (I used dried and soaked them in hot water to make them pliable)

For the meat sauce - see my throw together bolognese recipe - or simply use a store bought one.

For the bechamel sauce you will need;

3 tbps butter

1/3 c plain flour

3 c milk

1 small clove garlic

Really simple, melt butter over medium - high heat, when foamy add flour and whisk to combine, add garlic, cook until bubbling and remove from the heat. Add milk in batches - stirring until smooth, return to heat and cook until thickened to desired consistency.

Grease cupcake/muffin pan, take lasagne sheets and use a cookie cutter to cut into round layers. 

Layer lasagne sheets, meat sauce and bechamel sauce in muffin tin, repeat until full (3 layers for me) and then top with bechamel sauce and cheese - bake in oven for approx 30 minutes at 180c.

Remove and let sit in the pan for 3-5 minutes. 

Remove with spoon and serve hot.