Cookies

These make great tree decorations and are so easy to do.

Ingredients

Use these cookie recipes as the basis for making brilliant baubles or striking stockings Christmas tree decorations.

• Vanilla cookies
• 275g (10oz) plain flour, sifted
• 5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
• 100g (3½oz) caster sugar
• 75g (3oz) butter, diced
• 1 small egg, beaten
• 30ml (2 tbsp) golden syrup
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) vanilla extract
• Spiced orange cookies
• 75g (3oz) butter
• 75g (3oz) soft brown sugar
• 30ml (2tbsp) honey
• Zest from one orange
• 10ml (2 tsp) orange juice
• 225g (8oz) plain flour, sifted
• 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate soda
• 5ml (1 tsp) cinnamon
• Gingerbread cookies
• 125g (4oz) butter
• 60ml (4 tbsp) black treacle
• 225g (8oz) soft brown sugar
• 450g (1 lb) Plain flour
• 15ml (1 tbsp) ground ginger
• 7.5ml (1 ½ tsp) cinnamon
• 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
• 15ml (1 tbsp) milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3.
2. Place the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a hollow in the centre and pour in the beaten egg, golden syrup and vanilla extract. Mix together well until you have a ball of dough.
3. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick and stamp out the cookies, using your chosen cutters. If you are using a template, cut around the template with a knife for each cookie.
5. Lightly knead and re-roll the trimmings together again to use up all the dough. Place the biscuits on baking sheets.
6. Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes until lightly coloured and firm but not crisp. Leave on the tray for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3.
8. Place butter, sugar, honey, orange zest and juice in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.
9. Sieve the flour and dry ingredients in a bowl and add the melted ingredients. Mix well until the dough becomes firm.
10. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes
11. Continue as for vanilla cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending of the size of the cookies. Tip: Why not try adding the zest and juice of a lemon for zingy lemon-flavoured cookies
12. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3.
13. Place butter, treacle and sugar into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted. Cool slightly
14. Sieve the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Pour the melted mixture into the dry ingredients and stir.
15. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk and add to the mixture. Combine to make a dough, adding more milk if necessary.
16. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes.
17. Continue as for vanilla cookies then bake for 10-15 minutes depending of the size of the cookies. Tip: for gingerbread men, try adding currants for eyes before baking

Spiced orange cookies75g (3oz)butter75g (3oz) soft brown sugar30ml (2tbsp) honeyZest from one orange10ml (2 tsp) orange juice225g (8oz) plain flour, sifted5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate soda5ml (1 tsp) cinnamon1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3.2. Place butter, sugar, honey, orange zest and juice in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.3. Sieve the flour and dry ingredients in a bowl and add the melted ingredients. Mix well until the dough becomes firm.4. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes5. Continue as for vanilla cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending of the size of the cookies. Tip: Why not try adding the zest and juice of a lemon for zingy lemon-flavoured cookies

Gingerbread cookies125g (4oz) butter60ml (4 tbsp) black treacle225g (8oz) soft brown sugar450g (1 lb) Plain flour15ml (1 tbsp) ground ginger7.5ml (1 ½ tsp) cinnamon5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda15ml (1 tbsp) milk1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3.2. Place butter, treacle and sugar into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted. Cool slightly3. Sieve the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Pour the melted mixture into the dry ingredients and stir.4. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk and add to the mixture. Combine to make a dough, adding more milk if necessary.5. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes.6. Continue as for vanilla cookies then bake for 10-15 minutes depending of the size of the cookies. Tip: for gingerbread men, try adding currants for eyes before baking.

Let the children join in and have fun,

Pecan Maple Brownies

Pecan nuts give some extra crunch to this deliciously moreish chocolate brownies Yummy!!

• Cooking time: 1 hr 5 mins

• Makes: 15

Ingredients

Always use the best quality chocolate you can find - with 70% cocoa solids or more. It's full of health-boosting antioxidants - and it tastes better, too!

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, gas mark 4). Lightly grease an 18 x 27cm (7 x 10½ in) tin and line with non-stick baking parchment.
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Leave for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally until melted. Cool slightly.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and maple syrup. Whisk into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and two-thirds of the pecan nuts.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and scatter over the rest of the nuts. Bake for 35-40 mins until the top is crisp and the centre is almost set. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then turn out and cut into squares.

• 250g (9oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 225g (8oz) butter
• 4 medium eggs, beaten
• 225g (8oz) caster sugar
• 90ml (6tbsp) maple syrup
• 150g (5oz) plain flour, sifted
• 200g packet pecan nuts, roughly chopped

A little light hearted fun- One Word

I saw this on a blog I visit and I thought it fun to join in , and maybe you will aswell.

USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think. Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? Table
2. Your significant other? Jonathan
3. Your hair? Brownish
4. Your mother? Loving
5. Your father? reassurung
6. Your favorite thing? Crafting
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Coffee
9. Your dream/goal? Improvment
10. What room you are in? Bedroom
11. Your hobby? Crafting
12. Your fear? None
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home
14. Where were you last night? Home
16. Muffins? none
17. Wish list item? Guillotine
18. Where you grew up? Gloucestershire
19. Last thing you did? Blog
20. What are you wearing? Joggers
21. Your TV? on
22. Your pets? Dog
23. Friends? Cherished
24. Your life? Happy
25. Your mood? Relaxed
26. Missing some one? Husband
27. Car? Zafira
28. Something you're not wearing? socks
29. Your favorite store? Range
30. Your favorite color? Pink
33. When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried? Forgotten
35. Who will resend this? Pass
36. One place that I go to over and over? Church
37. One person who emails me regularly? none
38. My favorite place to eat? Home
39. Why you participated in this survey? Fun
40. What are you doing tonight? Chilling

Swine flu double whammy.

A little update on things.

My husband is still recovering from swine flu but is much improved.

On Saturday I started to become unwell and by Sunday I was diagnosed with swine flu. I have been bed-bound until today (Wednesday). I ventured into the lounge! Then staggered back to bed a few hours later. It has really knocked the stuffing out of me. I am taking a course of tamiflu but that has side effects! Nausea!!


Will update when I feel a little better.

Update on health, life and....

Shame on me for neglecting this blog.
Life has been quite busy of late.

Two weeks ago my husband suprised me with a 2nd honeymoon in the Lake District.

He booked the same hotel we stayed at on our honeymoon, and we visited all the places we went to last time. We even got the same room and he never asked fot it!

The views were just stunning, the trees were beautiful, autumn is such a glorious season.

We went on a boat trip around Ullswater. Just a few pictures from the boat.




We also visited Lake Windermere. Another stunning place. The pictures just do not do it justice, it was so peaceful . The silence around the waterside was just amazing, a really good time to take in Gods wonderful creation around us.

This swan came up so close to us, and we just had to take a picture, what a stunning bird! I didn't realise how big they are!


After we got back from the trip, we were busy catching up with things. And the weekend was then upon us.

Sunday morning my husband was preaching and he was not well at all, in fact became so unwell he didn't go to Church in the evening, I went alone. Thankfully he wasn't preaching that evening.

He gradually got worse and on Wednesday he was diagnosed with swine flu. He is currently taking a course of Tamiflu tablets to help fight it.They can also make you feel sick - which they did!! Side effects - don't you just love them!

One week later he is still unwell but improved a little. He has had to be housebound because they encourage you to stay in and reduce chance of spreading. But to be honest he wasn't well enough to go out anyway.

My health is up and down, but the Lord sustains me and has made me well enough to care for my husband and manage to do all the household chores. Isn't God great!

No matter how I feel , the Lord never leaves or forsakes me, what a Saviour I have!