Best biscuits to bake for the holidays

INGREDIENTS

For the cookies:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup melted butter
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup buttermilk

For the icing:

• ¾ cup icing sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-5 teaspoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix flour and baking powder; set aside.
2. Beat eggs with fork in a large bowl then stir in sugar, butter, and vanilla. Alternately add flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, stirring until well mixed.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 200 °C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough until about ¼ cm thick, dip your cookie cutter in flour and cut out shapes.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies have puffed and the bottoms have browned but the centers are still slightly underdone. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup molasses 
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5cm piece fresh ginger, grated (optional)
• Zest of 1 orange (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper (optional)

Ingredients for icing:

• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup milk, plus more for thinning
• 1/4 teaspoon almond (or pure vanilla) extract

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl stir together icing sugar, corn syrup, milk, and almond extract. Add the milk a teaspoon at a time to thin, if necessary. 
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking soda, and salt until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, as well as fresh ginger, orange zest, and black pepper (if using), until dough just comes together. (Do not overmix!)
4. Divide dough in half and create two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill until firm, for about 2 to 3 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll until 2.5cm thick. (Alternatively, peel off both sheets of parchment from dough, then replace one sheet of parchment back underneath dough.) Cut out gingerbread men with a 7cm wide cutter and transfer to baking sheets.
6. Bake until slightly puffed and set, 9 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie.. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
7. Repeat with remaining disc of dough. Decorate with icing and sprinkles as desired.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
• 2 1/2 cups pastry flour
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree
2. In a large bowl add butter cubed
3. Place large sieve over the bowl and add flour and icing sugar to sieve
4. Run flour and icing sugar through sieve to ensure well blended and no lump
5. Blend by hand the icing sugar and flour into the butter until it forms an oatmeal like texture
6. Knead mixture to form a large ball
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch and only just starting to brown on the bottom
8. Remove cookies from the oven and using a sharp knife cut into even squares. Let cool completely before eating.

Ingredients:

• 1 brick cream cheese - 250g softened
• 1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumb
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chip
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl add the brick softened cream cheese and beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy
2. Add 1 1/2 cups oreo cookie crumbs, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 a cup of icing sugar and mix well into the cream cheese
3. Form the oreo cookie dough into 2.5cm sized balls and place on a lined baking sheet. About a rounded teaspoon each in size. Place in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to firm up.
4. Melt 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. I have a setting for melting chocolate, but if you do not have this setting melt on low for 1 minute at a time and stir in between cycles until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and mix. This helps the chocolate stay smooth and makes it easier for dipping.
5. Dip each ball in the chocolate and roll around to cover completely. Use a fork to lift it out and let the excess chocolate drip off before placing on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
6. Place the baking tray of oreo truffles in the fridge for an hour to allow for the outside chocolate shell to harden and set and then enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 17 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup + 1 tablespoon, plus more for rolling out the dough
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter - slightly softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
• 1 large egg yolk
• 4 teaspoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Dough:

• Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius. Line a small baking tray with a piece of parchment paper. Spread the almond flour out onto the paper. Bake until it’s a light golden color and smells toasted, for about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Add the toasted almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, white pepper, and cardamom to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Add the butter, sugar, molasses, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla to a large bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the mixture together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and beat to combine.

Chill the Dough:

• Divide the dough into 2 portions, roll each into a ball, and slightly flatten each ball into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 4 hours (or up to 3 days).
• Roll Out the Dough and Stamp Out the Cookies:
• Preheat the oven to 180C. Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper or silpat liners.
• Lay a piece of parchment paper out onto a flat work surface. Flour the piece of paper, place a disk of chilled dough on top, and flour the top of the disk of dough. Place a 2nd piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll the dough out until it’s about 3 to 4cm.
• Stamp or cut out cookies. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking trays (about 20 cookies per tray). Transfer the cookie trays to the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

Bake the Cookies:

• Bake until the cookies are set and are an even golden (not dark brown) colour, for about 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the trays once halfway through.
• Let them cool completely on the trays before removing. The cookies will crisp as they cool.