A person joyfully holds a book in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, spreading holiday cheer.

Christmas Tree Biscuits

Ho, ho, ho! Christmas is the season for snacking and enjoying good food—perfect for making with family and friends. This is the recipe we always use; it produces lovely, crunchy, warmly spiced biscuits. And they're not just for Christmas! You can use this recipe to make "run, run, as fast as you can" gingerbread men or any occasion for a biscuit, right?
20 mins

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (Gas Mark 3). Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices into a mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix well.
  2. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. In another bowl, mix the egg and golden syrup together until smooth and well blended. Make a well in the center of the rubbed-in mixture and pour in the egg and syrup. Using a wooden spoon, mix together to form a ball of dough.
  4. Put the dough into a lidded container and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest; this will make it much easier to roll out.
  5. When ready to bake the biscuits, place the dough between two lightly floured sheets of greaseproof paper. Roll the dough out evenly until it is approximately 5mm thick, then remove the top paper.
  6. Cut out shapes from the dough with your chosen biscuit cutters. Place the biscuits on baking sheets, leaving space in between for them to spread a little. Use a knitting needle or skewer to make a hole near the top of each shape (to thread a hanging ribbon through).
  7. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown. They will still seem soft at this stage but will firm up as they cool. If necessary, remake the holes while they are still hot.
  8. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.
  9. When ready to finish, divide the white glacé icing between three or four small bowls. Keep one bowl white and color the others as desired.
  10. Using either the back of a spoon or a small round-ended knife, carefully spread plain or colored glacé icing over one side of each biscuit. For a really smooth finish, dip the spoon or knife in a jug of just-boiled water first. Add decorations of your choice. Lay the biscuits on a wire rack and leave until the icing has set.
  11. Finally, thread the biscuits with ribbon or raffia and hang them on the Christmas tree. For maximum effect, hang a few biscuits on the tree every couple of days. These biscuits will keep un-iced for up to 3 months in an airtight tin.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 275g plain flour
  • 1 level tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 75g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 50g golden syrup

To Decorate

  • Glacé icing
  • 2 or 3 natural food colorings
  • Cherries
  • Angelica
  • Currants
  • Desiccated coconut
  • Flaked almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Sesame seeds
  • Chocolate or colored sprinkles
  • Sugar
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