Christmas mixed spice Cookies

Well here I am sick again!!! Only a cold this time thank god but I'm in bits. I'm starting to come out the other side of it though, can't be sick for christmas and all that................

So anyway enough rambling I have decided to enter Baking Bites Holiday Gingerbread cookie contest. Baking Bites for those of you who don't know is a baking blog written by the wonderful Nicole. There are so many links in my del.icio.us folder from Baking Bites and anything I have tried before has always been gorgeous. I am also envious of Nicole as she gets to bake way more than I do along with ride horses and salsa dance!! So Nicole if you want to swap and come and live in cold Ireland give me a call ;-)

So from my recovering sick bed I dragged myself to the kitchen as I had read all books and magazines in my ever expanding pile and Liverpool were on the tv so the sympathy from my husband had dried up strangely enough.

These aren't exactly gingerbread cookies, they're more of a sugar cookie but there is some ground ginger in them along with cinnamon and mixed spice and they do smell very christmassy. The recipe is a basic cookie recipe that I use all the time and here's what you need

• 100g caster sugar (I use golden caster sugar)
• 90g soft unsalted butter
• 200g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I have a organic one from Kitchen Compliments at the moment)
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 cinnamon
• 1/4 ginger
• 1 medium and an extra yolk or 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp finely ground salt

The vanilla extract I am using is a lovely one and it should be in your local tesco as they seem to have it in mine. DO NOT pay any more than about €8 for this as I have seen it being sold for €13 locally which is a scandalous mark up!!! Healthfood shops also have this and tesco sell vanilla extract if you can't get this one, essence is really a much nicer flavour than the artificial flavour essence gives in my opinion so if you get it well and good and if not then the essence will be just fine.

• Cream the butter and sugar together (I used my Kenwood but you could use a food processor or do it by hand)
  
• Add the vanilla essence and the egg.
  
• Sieve the dry ingredients in and mix until it becomes a chunky breadcrumb consistency.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a disk.
  
• Wrap in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for an hour.

When the hour is up preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180 , roll out your dough on a floured surface and cut into the desired shapes and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden on the edges.
I used stars in keeping with the christmas theme and star shapes are a particular favourite of mine.

Decorate as desired, I've left mine plain as you can see and am pleading illness for not icing them as planned. Check out some of the other entries here

Ho ho ho!!!