Christmas Biscuits

Today we had to hurry up and start our biscuits as we want to give them away with our Christmas cards this year, and some of our friends are going away soon. I absolutely love this recipe that was shared by a friend of ours. It is quite like shortbread, but the added almond gives it a very Christmassy flavour, and the baking powder gives it a lighter texture than shortbread, I am sure she won't mind me sharing it as it is too good not to.

300g butter or margarine

1 cup Castor sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven at 180 C.

Thoroughly cream butter and sugar.

Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; beat well.

Gradually add flour and baking powder, mixing to make a smooth dough.

Do not chill.

Option 1:

Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Option 2:

Roll dough onto well flour counter. As you roll add flour and flip so that the dough does not stick to the counter. Use cookie cutters of desired shapes.

Bake at 180 C for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet; cool on rack.

1 batch makes approximately 100 - 150 cookies (depending on size of cookie)

I highly recommend getting a good cookie press, this made the job of making over 100 biscuits very quick work, and all the designs are so pretty.
The baked biscuits.

Some decorated with chocolate.