Easy Christmas Recipes

It's a busy time of year, isn't it? I apologise for my blogging slackness of late - so much to do, so little time!

To let you know I'm still alive, I thought I'd just quickly post 4 easy Christmas recipes which I make each year and give to friends. I hope you find them useful, too. 

FRUIT SLICE (pictured in the centre of the plate)

250g dried fruit, finely chopped or minced (apricots, apples, prunes, cranberries, etc)
2 cups coconut
1 cup icing sugar
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
Extra coconut, crushed nuts or icing sugar (to coat the slice or balls)

1. Mix all ingredients (coating) together, and form into small balls or a long roll.
2. Toss in extra coconut, icing sugar or crushed nuts. 
3. Set in refrigerator. 
4. If you have rolled your mix, when it is firm, cut into small circles, as pictured. 
5. In hot weather, it may be advisable to keep in the refrigerator. However, I have not needed to do this. 

Fruit slice and Easy Coconut Macaroons

 EASY COCONUT MACAROONS (pictured around the plate edge - and one on top!)

2-1/2 cups coconut

3/4 cup castor sugar

2 Tablespoons self-raising flour

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Put coconut, sugar and sifted flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Stir in lightly beaten egg, milk and vanilla.
3. Mix all ingredients together well.
4. Roll mixture into walnut-sized balls, pressing well together.
5. Place on oven trays, lined with aluminium foil (no need to grease)
6. Bake in moderate oven 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. (Makes about 30).

 ALMOND BREAD

 3 egg whites
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 cup plain flour
125g (4 oz) whole unblanched almonds

1. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add castor sugar, and beat until dissolved.
2. Fold in sifted flour and whole almonds, combining well.
3. Fill into a very lightly greased loaf tin (20cm x 10cm) or 2 small tins (20cm x 7cm). Bake in a moderate oven 30-40 minutes.
4. Leave in the tin until completely cold. Wrap in aluminium foil and put aside for 1-2 days.
5. Using a very sharp knife, cut into wafer thin slices.
6. Place slices on oven tray, put into a slow oven 20 minutes or until slices are completely dry and crisp.

 LEBKUCHEN (GINGERBREAD)

60g butter
2/3 cup golden syrup
1-3/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of sodea
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cocoa
30g mixed peel
2 Tablespoons plain flour, extra
Raspberry or strawberry jam
125g dark chocolate

1. Melt butter over low heat in medium sized saucepan
2. Add golden syrup, bring to boil, remove from heat and leave standing for 10 minutes.
3. Add sifted dry ingredients, milk and finely chopped peel, stir with wooden spoon until smooth, cover, stand at room temperature for 1-1/2 hours. The mixture will become thicker.
4. After this time, turn mixture onto a surface dusted with the extra flour. Knead lightly, workin on only enough of the flour until the mix loses its stickiness.
5. Roll out the mix to about 3mm (1/8 inch) thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters in Christmas shapes or hearts (I had to use teddy bears also!) Place on lightly greased trays, leaving a little room between each for spreading.
6. Using the end of a wooden spoon, gentlypush an indentation into centre of the biscuit, being careful not to push right through. Fill with a dot of jam.
7. Bake in moderate oven 8-10 minutes or until golden. Leave on trays until completely cold.
8. Melt chocolate in microwave, 30 seconds at a time until melted enough. Alternatively, melt chocolate in a bowl or double saucepan over simmering water. 
9. Cover the base of each biscuit with chocolate, either by dipping or spreading with a knife. Wipe off excess around the edges, and place jam-side down on trays until chocolate is firm. This should make approx. 40-70, depending on how thinly you roll out the dough.

Welcome to RusaLena, who recently began following this erratic blogger,

And a very merry Christmas to you all!