Gingerbread, gingerbread, gingerbread rock...

Oh my, she's been at it again. Yes indeedy, it's that time of the year once again: festive gingerbread time. This is my standard giveaway to my friends and family at Christmas time, and it never goes unloved. Each year I endeavour to add another cutter to my collection: this year, the snowflake is the latest cutter on the block (the stocking made "the cut" last year). Sometimes I pause to wonder if I have created a Christmas tradition which will eventually become a rod for my own back, but for now, I'm still managing to cut and ice with enthusiasm.

So, what does one need for a little festive cutting? Firstly, we need themed cutters. My original cutters come from a Fox Run Christmas box set, however you can(for pretty much the same price) put together a collection of your own: a reindeer, a bell, a Christmas tree, perhaps an angel (although, frankly, I eschew the angel as she's too difficult to decorate in a proper and identifiable style!). There is also a Fox Run set of Interchangeable Cutters, which would be quite convenient. I do like to include a candy cane, as the decoration of same is always spectacular in presentation, and a star is a simple inclusion.

I like to roll out the dough with a very simple rolling pin. The ones with the ball bearings in the ends throw me off balance when I roll, so just a basic one will do for me!

Next, you will need some really good baking sheets, and for any kind of biscuit baking, I recommend you go as rimless as possible. I always line my sheets, but that is a personal preference (although, it does make it a bit easier to queue the biscuits up, as you can keep filling sheets of paper and just loading them onto the baking sheets as needed. Buy the caterers' roll of baking paper!). The Masterclass sheets are fab. Once you have baked up, you will need to cool them all down. As I'm currently doing 72 biscuits to a batch, I need the largest cooling rack available, but there are many others from which to choose that might be more appropriate for your needs (presuming you are not in the grips of Christmas baking madness, as I am).

Finally, the decoration. I use a selection of tips (as previously blogged), and I have to hand a selection of semi-disposable piping bags (with all those colours going on, it's just too much work to be icing and changing!). I also use the Wilton colours, as they are intense, pure in colour, and just a teeny bit will give you vibrant result.

So, all that remains is to package them up. Of course, you could carefully arrange them in Maxwell & Williams jars (as previously discussed), but my baking memories are of my grandmother with the same tins all the time, used repeatedly for whatever she'd been cooking up for our visit. With that in mind, how about a festive tin, which can be reused all year 'round (please call the shop for details)? Of course, complete indulgence is possible with the Jim Shore Santa or Snowman Biscuit Jar. You'll need quite a few biscuits to fill one of these: save this idea for someone you really like!

However, the most essential item for baking is a Kitchenaid KSM150 Stand Mixer. My life would be empty, desolate and just plain hard without the kitchen-y company and dedicated work ethic of my Kitchenaid mixer. There is a colour for everyone (the online shop does not reflect all the colours available!), so there can be no possible excuse of it not matching the decor, or being too ugly to keep on the bench. If you don't have one already, put this at the top of your list. If you do, ask for one of the many attachments. You'll know if you've been really good: Santa will bring you a KSM150. Mrs Claus has a red one...of course.

PS For those of my friends, wondering why they didn't get any gingerbread in the mail this year, blame the Australia Post instigators. I could hardly risk the delicate creations with people so completely unfestive that they'd let a Christmas card arrive at New Year...

Round Up The Troops

One of my friends laughingly refers to these as "The Gingerbread Army". I suppose they do resemble a little corps of biscuit men, although their outfits are much nicer than the usual army-green business. The Gingerbread Army came about when one of my small people wanted gingerbread men. I, of course, didn't have the right sized cutter. I had a huge one, but once decorated, the result was really a meal in itself. So I went to get a medium-sized one. However, we were out of stock, so I ended up with the little boy. Little indeed: little did I know that one batch of my dough recipe would turn into a zillion little boys. I must say, though: this was my first copper biscuit cutter, and the results are superior to my usual cutters. Copper is supposed to be sturdier and longer-lasting, but there is something else, something that I can't define, about the clarity and ease of cutting (very important when you have 100 to cut out!).

To decorate the army, I used some "Confetti" Sugar Sprinkles Five Colours (not on our website yet). These decorations are quite new to our shop, and come in a gorgeous selection of designs (not just the round, as seen here). The bag contains 50g, and the decorations are made in Germany. To give you an idea of how much is in a 50g bag, the bag pictured is what remains after decorating the boys. Plenty to keep you decorating! For the piping, I use the Thermohauser Piping Bags, which I like to refer to as semi-reuseable. You wouldn't keep them forever, but the very thick, sturdy quality means that, carefully looked after, you will get a few repeat uses. I'm an enthusiastic piper, so the Wilton Deluxe Tip Set is an essential in my kitchen. More tips than you could poke a, well, tip at: one for every occasion, and then some more. My only complaint with this set is the single coupler: if you have a few colours on the go, you might need to purchase some extra couplers. Otherwise, it is the perfect tip set.

The army is poised for attack on a Bakers Secret Non-Stick Cooling Rack. How non-stick is this rack? Well, the army lost some men in transit between the bench and the table while on their way to the photo shoot. They simply slid right off. Very efficient non-stick!

I have (since yesterday's baking) given two-thirds of these away. After all, doesn't everyone love a (gingerbread) man in uniform?

Biscuits for Barrels (or jars)

OK, so my computer has been compliant, and I have a photo of the chocolate chocolate chip biscuits. I did warn you that they are not the most beautiful to look at (in fact, a ranger would probably fine you if one fell out of your picnic basket and onto the grass), but the taste is exquisite. Mine turned out rather crumbly, but I found a use for those as well: soften some quality vanilla icecream and stir the broken biscuits through for a very special cookies'n'cream mix (I had to relent: biscuits'n'cream just doesn't work).



Now, I can't help you with supply of the astounding Atomic machine, but I can sing the praises of the jar. This is a Maxwell & Williams Olde English storage jar, and I love love love these jars. They come in a fantastic range of sizes, even up to an enormous 7 litre jobbie. The 5 litre has been hugely popular in our commercial division (you might spot them around the Highlands' cafes, stuffed full of gingerbread men). While there are round barrels available, I prefer the square-bottom ones: you can have a hodge-podge of sizes, but the straight sides mean they all fit neatly on a shelf and look rather lovely. The set of four is alarmingly good value, and you'll find a use for every one. The only thing stopping my expanding collection is a lack of shelf space!

I must mention that these jars have a wonderful seal on them as well. Obviously, if you're storing biscuits or other morsels which need to retain their "crunch", the seal of a jar is vital. I find these jars do the job perfectly.

With the festive season rapidly approaching, I have in mind these jars full of homemade festive biscuits, tied around the neck with some gorgeous Christmas ribbon and a gift tag, as a very special, practical and impressive gift. I guarantee the jar will be used in aeternum by the receiver, and everyone appreciates the care that goes into homemade biscuits. Or, at $5.95, pick up a few of the 0.5 litre ones, buy some Christmas-themed sweets or chocolates, and have them on hand for when you get invited for a festive gathering. A simple, inexpensive and thoughtful gift. If you don't get invited anywhere, keep the jars and eat the contents. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Delinquent!

Which is what I have been for the passed three days. My apologies: I have been busy enjoying a few Highlands' treats (and some out-of-town ones as well).

I had a fabulous breakfast at Coffee Culture (Empire Cinema Complex Walkway, Bong Bong St, Bowral; ph 02 4862 2400) on the weekend. This really is one of the premiere spots to enjoy a leisurely weekend brunch-type affair: great food, superb coffee, and a relaxed atmosphere. It is also family-friendly, something which can be strangely hard to find in the Highlands. Chris and Will each have young children, and go out of their way to ensure a low-stress, enjoyable outing for families. Did you know Coffee Culture supply their own coffee beans to establishments all over NSW, even as far as Hippo Espresso (468 The Esplanade, Warners Bay; ph 02 4948 0800) on Lake Macquarie? Hardly surprising: the coffee is always great (I frequently pick up my weekday ones at CC as well!). For dining in, I highly recommend the BLT...

We celebrated a birthday over the weekend, and being not of the mind to make a cake (I did make the choc-chip biscuits, the recipe for which I previously published: am trying to upload the photos!), I enabled a secret Highlands pastry weapon: Susie Porter. For those of you who indulge in a dessert or two, it is likely you have tasted a Susie Porter creation in your travels. She makes cakes for a number of the great cafes in the Highlands, most notably Wild Food Bowral (250a Bong Bong St, Bowral; ph 02 4861 2838). We had the most divine strawberry sponge, filled with whipped cream, jam and fresh strawberries. I had three pieces in one sitting (and this was a 12" cake...). Light as a feather, and delicately delicious: just as you would imagine a perfect sponge to be. This woman can bake. Susie is currently investigating some new venues for her cake supply, and I will certainly keep you up-to-date so you can seek out these extraordinary desserts for yourselves. We are hoping to have her do a Chef's Night for us as well. Watch this space...

I also had a splendid little bite yesterday at a hole-in-the-wall in Sydney's CBD. While visiting Tetsuya's (which is not open for lunch on weekdays), I popped across the road to Bar Adyar (448 Kent St, Sydney). This teeny cafe is utterly odd, but has the most impressive food and coffee: I am told that the morning takeaway queues stretch down the street. I am not in the habit of singing the praises of the metropolis, but having worked in Kent St for years, I can assure you that this end of town needs places like Bar Adyar. If you find yourself in the vicinity, I recommend you drop in.

Hopefully my computer will be generous enough to cooperate with me sometime today, and I will have pics of the biscuits imminently....

The Little Kicks

Let me get it out there: I am a Seinfeld tragic. I can find a Seinfeld reference in every happening in every day of my life. For any other Seinfeld-ers out there, the little kicks will always be a terrifying dance involving jolting body moves, a strangely satisfied grin, and thumbs. To others, however, there are other ways to get some indulgent little kicks.


Whenever I'm in the shop, I find myself magnetically drawn to these little beauties. I have such a thing for chocolate. I may stray when my tree is full of lemons, but I will always return to my dark master: the cocoa bean (that's actually a Seinfeld quote. See: the references just seem to follow me about). Our chocolate is from Belcolade. I challenge you to browse through that website without feeling the chocolate love. Of course, there are a grillion products on the site which we don't receive in Australia, but you only need to know about one: the buttons. Oh, how I love the buttons....


The gorgeous thing about the buttons is their practicality. I have so so many recipes which call for chocolate chips. Chips? Ha! Are you going to go and buy those things in the supermarket cake / baking aisle? Why don't you just help yourself to some instant frosting, while you're there? No no no, I don't think so. Here's the trick: you buy the drops, put them in a zip-lock bag, then bang them with a rolling pin. Now, this might sound like more work than opening the blasphemous supermarket-bought chocolate chip bag and just pouring, but the difference in taste is extraordinary. You will suddenly discover how wonderful home-baked chocolate goods can be. A choc-chip biscuit will never taste the same. This chocolate melts beautifully in a double-boiler situation, but will hold its shape if you use a single button on a biscuit or break them up into pieces. For some ultra-luxury, buy all three varieties and make choc-chip biscuits with the three different sorts combined. Mmmmm....

I do have a favourite biscuit recipe, for which I use the dark drops. I've only ever tried it with dark, as I can't imagine how it could possibly be improved by substituting another variety. If memory serves correctly (but why would it?), the recipe came from a Vogue Entertaining and Travel about a decade ago. For this, you will need 500g of chocolate drops, 125g of which you need to belt with the rolling pin as per the above "method".


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Biscuits

1 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
500g dark chocolate buttons (125g broken)
125g unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 180C. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a double boiler, melt the butter with 375g of the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Stir in the eggs one at a time (not beating) until well combined, then stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Chill the dough for minimum 10 minutes (I find the closer you can get to an hour, the better the consistency).
Drop rounded teaspoon measures of the dough, about 3.5cm apart, onto a greased and lined baking sheet, and stud each one with pieces of the remaining chocolate. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes or until just set (only do one tray at a time). Cool the biscuits on the tray on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then transfer with a spatula to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

PS I've always found that sticking precisely to the times has worked out the best.


So, there it is. No excuses for bad chocolate, and now no excuses for average biscuits. They come out a bit wonky, but that's the charm. For a winning dessert, stick two together with a sandwich of luxury icecream. How's that for a little kick?

Oh, and have you noticed I only use biscuit? I refuse to use cookie. I do not need my biscuit barrel permeated by baked goods in backwards-facing baseball caps.