CHRISTMAS TREE BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS

• 11 oz (300g) self-raising flour
• 2 oz (55g) cornflour
• 6 oz (175g) butter, diced
• 6 oz (175g) caster sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 32 small clear, coloured boiled sweets
• thin coloured ribbon

METHOD

1. Sieve the flours into a bowl.
2. Rub in the butter and stir in the sugar.
3. Stir in enough of the egg whites to form a fairly soft dough.
4. Knead lightly until smooth and roll out to ¼ inch (5mm) thick and stamp out shapes using a 3½ inch (9cm) star Christmas cutter.
5. Use a bottle top to cut out a 1 inch (2.5cm) hole in the centre of each biscuit.
6. Transfer to four baking trays or cold plain shelves lined with Bake-O-Glide and add a sweet to fit in the centre of each biscuit and make small hanging holes using a skewer.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the baking oven* on the third shelf until a pale golden colour with the sweets melted and filling the windows. Leave to become quite cold on the trays.
8. When all of the biscuits have been cooled, thread loops of ribbon through the holes in each biscuit and store in an airtight tin ready to hang from your Christmas tree, they will keep for 3-4 days.

* AGA eR7 Series and AGA Total Control: place on third set of runners in roasting or baking oven on B4

AGA R5 Series 2-oven: place on floor of the roasting oven with a cold plain shelf above on the third set of runners down

AGA eR3 Series 150, 160 or 170 fan oven: place on any shelf in preheated oven on 160oC