Pacman Cookies

These are great fun! My sister gave me some Pacman cookie cutters a couple of years ago for Christmas and they are so easy to use. I made them with leftover dough from my Raspberry Jam Almond Tartlets.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
90g ground almonds
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Icing Sugar to decorate

**Please note other cookie recipes can of course be used!**


Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheight, 180 degrees celsius or gas mark 4. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar and ground almonds.
2. Mix together the butter and caster sugar. Mix in egg, then blend in vanilla and almond extract.
3. Mix in the almond mixture, then with mixer set on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until it is all fully combined.
4. Dust the work surface with flour, and get the combined mixture (should be a dough) and roll out with a rolling pin, into 1/8 to 1/6-inch thickness.
5. Cut into the pacman shapes using the cookie cutters.
6. Carefully transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets (you can run a sharp knife or pastry scaper under cookies to help lift them if needed!), spacing cookies 1-inch apart.
7. Bake in preheated oven 10 - 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
8. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Prepare the icing sugar, it needs to be quite thick. Use various dies to achieve the right colours and use piping icing for finer details such as the eyes. 

10. Store in an airtight container.

Raspberry Jam Almond Tartlets

These biscuit tartlets are worth making and they look nice and smart too.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
90g ground almonds
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Rasperry Jam

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheight, 180 degrees celsius or gas mark 4. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar and ground almonds.  

2. Mix together the butter and caster sugar. Mix in egg, then blend in vanilla and almond extract.

3. Mix in the almond mixture, then with mixer set on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until it is all fully combined.

4. Dust the work surface with flour, and get the combined mixture (should be a dough) and roll out with a rolling pin, into 1/8 to 1/6-inch thickness.

5. Cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter, then using a smaller heart shape cookie cutter, cut smaller hearts into the centers of half of the hearts.

6. Carefully transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets (you can run a sharp knife or pastry scaper under cookies to help lift them if needed!), spacing cookies 1-inch apart.

7. Bake in preheated oven 10 - 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.

8. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Spread strawberry jam over whole hearts, and place the cookies with the centres cut out over the tops. 10. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe altered from: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/01/linzer-cookies/

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

These are chocolate chip fairy cakes, topped with a simple butter icing and a miniature bite-sized Maryland cookie for decoration. I made these for my mum who is feeling a little poorly. There is nothing like cookies and cake to make someone feel better!

Ingredients:
110g Butter
110g Caster Sugar
110g Self raising flower
1tbsp Vanilla extract
1tbsp Milk
2 Free range eggs
Chocolate chips
For the decoration;
50g Butter
100g Icing sugar
Maryland bite-sized cookies

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/ gas 4. Line a cake tin with cupcake liners.
2. Using an electric hand whisk, mix the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract, then gradually beat in to the butter mixture, adding a little of the flour.
4. Sift over the remaining flour and gently fold in until just combined.

5. Add in the chocolate chips (this is optional as to how many chips you would like in your cupcakes).
6. Evenly place into the cake tins.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until risen and golden. Cool for 10 minutes, then place onto a wire rack and set aside to cool.

8. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the icing by creaming the butter and icing sugar together. You may want to add more icing sugar for the correct consistency.

9. Pipe the icing onto the cakes and place the cookies on top for decoration.