I am BUZZING that it’s now socially acceptable to start talking all things Christmas! My Christmas traditions have long begun and, unsurprisingly, they are all focussed around food. I’ve made a wish whilst stirring the Christmas pudding, had my first glass of mulled wine and began scrutinising every supermarket mince pie to work out which is best (Waitrose & Partners Plum, Honey & Ginger Mince Pies are the current favourites). Following a heated debate with my housemates, I have also had my way and now have a beautiful Christmas tree glistening in the corner of our living room (and bedroom and office and hallway… I LOVE CHRISTMAS).
This year, my tree has twinkled with the most breathtaking handmade ornaments from John Lewis and Partners. It’s the sort of tree I’ve lusted after for most of my twenties and now actively encourage my friends and family to inspect when they visit, so they can appreciate its gorgeousness. To continue the personal touch, I thought I’d share with you my favourite edible tree decorations recipe. This recipe is piled, like Santa’s sack, with all of your favourite festive spices, to fill your room with nostalgia and your tummies with a tasty treat.
They are a hearty biscuit that will sit comfortably on your tree for a week or in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. The dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month. When you want to make some, simply thaw in the fridge overnight. The cooked biscuits can be made in very little time, so you can cook them up and hang them on your tree on Christmas eve and enjoy a fresh-tasting biscuit on whilst opening your presents in the morning. Eeep!
Let’s get cooking…
- 300g plain flour
- 100g soft dark brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 100g soft butter
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 3 heaped tbsp honey
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and preheat the oven to 170°C/325ºF/gas 3.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Add in the butter and rub together to form a crumb. In a separate bowl whisk your eggs and honey and pour into your crumby mix, stirring with a fork to combine. The dough may come together before you’ve used up all your wet mix, in which case leave the excess egg and honey aside.
Wrap up your ball of dough and pop in the fridge for an hour to firm.
Roll your dough to 5mm thick. Using your John Lewis & Partners Cutters, cut out your favourite shapes. The nozzle of a piping bag or a straw works really well at removing a small hole from the top of your biscuit where the string will go through for hanging.
Lay each shape onto your lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until they’ve gone beautifully golden. They will harden as they cool.
Once cooled, it’s decorating time. Waitrose & Partners have the most fantastic selection of festive cake decorations, from edible snowflakes and silver shimmer dust, to mince pie frosting and ready-rolled marzipan. Get creative, get the family involved and have some fun!
This post is a collaboration with Waitrose & Partners and includes affiliate links.