Butter Cookies

Christmas Tree Butter Cookies– Festive Holiday Treats
Ingredients
Related Recipes:
View all
Easter Special Recipe: Hot Cross Buns
‘One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns’ may be more familiar to people, especially in Asian countries, than the famous Easter delicacy, hot cross buns. That phrase belongs to an English nursery rhyme, which is a street hoot that used to be sounded during Easter. It’s also a musical reminder of the recipe presented here: classic hot cross buns. Hot cross buns might look complicated, but they're fairly simple to make. Once you have made it at home, by yourself, the shop-bought version will genuinely be difficult to go back to. This special Easter recipe for hot cross buns produces glazed buns that are big, fluffy, and fragrant – the exact kind you get from a good bakery – with a crumb that is soft without being gluey, and a crust that is golden and shiny from the apricot jam glaze. The dough is made rich with butter, milk, and egg, and spices like cinnamon and allspice, with sultanas and orange zest adding more flavour. The trademark ‘cross’ on the hot buns is made from a simple thick paste of flour and water piped over the top before baking. The glaze is applied immediately after the buns come out of the oven. Three methods are provided in this recipe: stand mixer (the easiest and recommended), hand-kneading (10 minutes of effort), and a completely no-knead version for those who want the simplest possible route. The dough can also be shaped the day before and proved overnight in the refrigerator, making these hot cross buns entirely realistic to bake fresh for Easter morning without waking at dawn.167 minsintermediate
Easter Recipes Special: Hot Cross Bun Bread
Hot cross bun bread is what happens when the traditional Easter recipes of the hot cross bun are upgraded into a loaf. The recipe yields a high-top, cafe-style bread that has all the aroma and richness of the classic Easter treat in a form that is far easier to make, slice, and toast. The spices remain the same (cinnamon, allspice, and orange zest), the fruit is the same (plump raisins and dried cranberries), and the sticky honey glaze and distinctive white cross on top are all present as well. What changes is that instead of individual buns that require shaping and spacing, hot cross bun bread is baked as a single loaf, in a tin. One of the Easter special recipes, this one has dried fruit macerated for two hours in Earl Grey tea before being folded into the dough. Earl Grey has bergamot and citrus flavour that complements the orange zest in the dough and adds a subtle floral flavour to the finished hot cross bun bread that a plain water soak could never achieve. The soaking liquid is incorporated into the dough alongside warm milk, melted butter, and instant yeast. The cross on top of the hot cross bun bread is made from a small, stiff dough of flour, water, sugar, and salt that is pressed into the surface of the loaf before the second proof, so it bakes cleanly into the crust. The honey-water glaze is brushed on while the loaf is still hot, giving it that signature sticky, golden finish.208 minsintermediate
Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread – Buttery, Garlicky & Loaded with Cheese
Cheesy garlic pull-apart bread features layers of soft, homemade dough or a crusty bread loaf cut into diamond shapes, stuffed with melted mozzarella and brushed with garlic herb butter. Its appeal is in the gooey strings of cheese that come out when you pull apart the bread slices.50 minsintermediate
FollowDirections
Description - Step 1
Prepare the base cookie dough
Take the softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Using a cake mixer or an electric hand whisk, whisk the butter for 30 seconds until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the whipped butter. Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes pale in colour and forms stiff peaks. Sift in the refined flour gradually to avoid lumps. Using a spatula, cut and fold the flour into the butter mixture until just combined. Add the milk and fold until you have a smooth dough.
Description - Step 2
Divide and flavour the dough
Measure out 75 grams of the prepared cookie dough and transfer it to a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder to this portion and mix using a spatula until the cocoa is evenly distributed. This will be used for the tree trunk. To the remaining larger portion of dough, add the matcha powder and green food colouring. Start with 3-4 drops of food colouring and mix well. Add more drops one at a time until you achieve a vibrant Christmas tree green colour that you're happy with.
Description - Step 3
Prepare for baking
Preheat your oven to 150°C and let it heat for 15 minutes. Then line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer the chocolate dough into one piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle, filling it about halfway. Transfer the green dough into a second piping bag, also fitted with a star nozzle, again filling it halfway. Twist the tops of both piping bags to seal and keep the dough from coming out the top while piping.
Description - Step 4
Pipe the Christmas tree cookies
Hold the piping bag with the chocolate dough vertically above the lined baking tray. Pipe a straight vertical line about 2-3 inches long for the tree trunk, applying steady pressure. Leave about 3-4 inches of space between each trunk for the tree to spread. Now take the piping bag with green dough. Starting about 2 inches above the top of the chocolate trunk, begin piping the tree. Pipe in a sweeping motion from left to right, creating wavy horizontal lines, creating a triangular Christmas tree shape. Repeat this process for all 8-9 cookies, spacing them adequately apart on the tray.
Description - Step 5
Bake the cookies
Place the baking tray in the preheated oven and bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. Check the cookies after 10 minutes of baking. If the tops are browning too quickly or the green colour is darkening too much, cover the tray loosely with a sheet of silver foil to protect the surface while allowing the cookies to continue baking. Continue baking for the remaining 10 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are firm, and the bottoms are lightly golden. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Description - Step 6
Garnish and serve
Once the cookies have cooled completely, it's time to add the finishing touch. Hold each cookie upright at a slight angle over a plate or clean surface. Using a fine-mesh sieve or tea strainer, dust icing sugar generously over the top of each tree.


