Slice and bake cookies

This is one of those great time saver recipes, one recipe that make two kinds of cookies, or really as many combinations as you like. I made half mms cookies and half cranberry pistachio, but the recipe would divide well into four for maybe a choc chip version and some cinnamon cookies, so many possibilities. Plus make the cookie dough a day ahead  and it can sit in your fridge ready to slice and bake cookies as you need them. There's nothing that says Christmas more than the smell of baked goods wafting from a house, prepare the dough ahead of time and cut and bake fresh cookies for your friends.

For the Cookies (makes 40)
250 grams butter (softened)

1 1/4 cups icing sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup cornflour

2 tablespoons milk

150 grams red and green mms
red and green sanding sugar

1/4 cups dried cranberries (chopped)

1/4 cup pistachios (chopped)

To make the cookies- preheat oven to 160 degrees c.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. 

Stir in flours in two parts, followed but the milk until dough comes together. 

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half.

Add the mms to one half of the mix and kneed lightly until the dough is smooth.

Spread a mixture or red and green sanding sugar onto a tray and roll the mms log of cookie dough to coat.

Kneed the cranberries and pistachios into the second half of dough.

Roll each half of dough into a 25 cm long log and wrap in cling wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour, until firm.

Cut each length of dough in to 1cm thick disks and lay flat on a lined baking tray about 3cms apart.

Bake the cookies for roughly 20 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks.

White Chocolate, Pistachio and Cranberry Cookie Wreaths

With only three more sleeps till Christmas its getting toward the business end of holiday preparation.  Whether you're looking for a last minute baked gift, something to enjoy with a peppermint hot coco or simply for some cookies to leave out for Santa, I've got you covered. These white chocolate pistachio and cranberry wreaths are relatively quick and easy and best of all they taste delicious!!

White chocolate is a favourite of mine so it was an easy choice for the topping and also saved the time and hassle of preparing icing, just melt, dunk and you're done. The sprinkling of dried cranberry and pistachios add a lovely flavour to the cookies and in red and green are the prefect colours for Christmas.

White Chocolate, Pistachio and Cranberry Cookie Wreaths (printable recipe)

225 grams salted butter (softened)

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup white chocolate melts
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup dried cranberries

To make the Cookies- Cream together the butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, continue beating until well combine.

Sift the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture beating until it forms a dough.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees c. and line baking trays with baking paper.

Working with a 1/4 of the dough at a time, place between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut out the wreaths using a large fluted round cutter for the outside and a smaller circle, flower or star burst cutter for the middle, remove the off-cuts and continue using until all the dough is used up.

Transfer the cut cookie shapes to the lined baking tray (1 inch apart) using a knife or spatula. If the cookies are too soft to move,  place them in the freezer for a minute until they are firm enough to transfer.

Bake the cookies until they are just lightly golden, about 10 minutes. The time will vary oven to oven so keep an eye on the first tray to see how long they take. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool completely on trays.

To decorate the cookies- roughly chop the pistachios and cranberries into smaller pieces.

Pour the white chocolate drops into  microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate 20 seconds at a time until melted and smooth.

One at a time dip the tops of the wreath cookies into the white chocolate and place on a wire rack.
Before the white chocolate sets, sprinkle the cookie with a mixture of cranberries and pistachios.

Continue with the remaining cookies them place aside until the chocolate is set.

Enjoy!