SPOOKY HALLOWEEN COOKIES

Today I made a start on the baking for Halloween, although it is still about ten days away the cookies which will be decorated with icing can safely be made now and stored in an air tight tin for up to six weeks.

Last year we were surprised by the number of children who called t sample our “treats” as we had only been loving in the village for a couple of months, luckily I had made plenty so we did not run out of goodies.

This year we expect an even greater turnout as word has spread among the children and many a hint has been dropped during the past week or two.

Today I began by baking three dozen Spooky Cookies in the shape of pumpkins and cats.

SPOOKY COOKIES

3 AND A HALF OZ BUTTER

12 OZ PLAIN FLOUR

1 TSPN BICARBONATE OF SODA

4 TABLESPOONS OF GOLDEN SYRUP

1 TSPN VANILLA EXTRACT

3 OZ CASTER SUGAR

1 EGG

Heat oven to 160

oC. Cover two baking sheets with non stick grease proofed paper and stand a tin of golden syrup in a pan of hot water.

Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda in to a bowl and add the salt, then rub in the bitter to make a fine crumb mixture.

Measure the golden syrup in to a jug(it should be easy to measure if the syrup is hot) add the egg and the vanilla extract then beat well.

Stir the syrup liquid in to the flour mixture and work in to a smooth dough.

Chill for at east 30 minutes.

When chilled roll out on a floured board to about a quarter of an inch thick then form in to Halloween shapes using the cookie cutter of your choice.

Place on the prepared baking sheets and cook for between 10/12 minutes.

When the cookies are light golden brown cool on the trays for about five minutes then transfer to a cooking rack

When cold store in an air tight tin and decorate them at your leisure.

N.B. If you do not have shaped cutters cut circles and decorate with white icing. When dry paint on a skull face with black food colouring. Alternatively cut circles and then squash them slightly to form a pumpkin shape adding a small piece of the dough to make a stalk then decorate with orange icing.

Icing tips and pictures next week.