CHRISTMAS SPICED SHORTBREAD

(Makes 80-100)

“I usually use the cookie press to make these, because I find they look particularly festive in little wreath shapes,” says Anja.

“If you aren’t so keen on icing you can sprinkle each biscuit with a little demerara sugar before baking – this adds a pleasing crunch and caramel note to the cookie.”

INGREDIENTS: 275g plain flour; 50g cornflour; 50g ground almonds; 50g ground hazelnuts; 250g unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into 2cm cubes; 175g soft light brown sugar; pinch of fine sea salt; 2tsp ground cinnamon; ½tsp ground ginger; ½tsp ground anise (or a drop of anise extract); ½tsp ground cloves; 1tsp vanilla extract; 2tbsp milk for the glaze; 100g icing sugar, sifted; 25ml just boiled water

METHOD:

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160 °C fan and line two baking sheets with nonstick baking parchment.

2. Put the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle and beat to a soft, pliable dough on a low speed for a couple of minutes. (If making by hand, put both flours, the ground almonds and hazelnuts in a large bowl, then work in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix through the sugar, salt and spices. Add the vanilla extract and milk, and bring the dough together with your hands. Knead for three minutes until pliable.)

3. If using a cookie press, select a shape, then stuff the dough into the top. Hold the press over a prepared baking sheet and click the handle to release one cookie. Repeat, placing each cookie 1cm apart to allow for spreading.

4. If using the mincer method, choose the an attachment and place your dough in the funnel. Crank the handle with one hand, holding the other hand just below the spout to support the dough as it comes out. When the dough protrudes by 6cm, cut it off and place it on a baking sheet. Repeat this process, spacing the biscuits one centimetre apart, until both sheets are full. Bake for eight to 10 minutes until just golden.

5. If you are making the biscuits by hand, take small, walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll them into sausage shapes around 5cm long. Place them two centimetres apart on the sheets.

Press a fork gently into the top edge of each biscuit and drag it down the length of the dough, flattening and lengthening it. Bake as before, but allow at least 10 minutes (handmade biscuits tend to be thicker and take longer to bake).

6. While the biscuits are baking, put the icing sugar into a bowl, pour in the justboiled water and vigorously mix until a glossy glaze forms.

7. Allow the cooked biscuits to cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack. Using a pastry brush, glaze each biscuit while still warm. Repeat the whole process again with any remaining dough. Store in an airtight container for up to four weeks.