On The Eighth Day of Christmas...

My true love gave to me..

A Recipe for Christmas Dog Treats. Printable here.

Everyone deserves something special on Christmas Day, especially you're best friend. Rufus LOVED these. He sat by the oven, patiently waiting, until the waiting got too much for him, and he ran around like crazy barking until he got one.

Here's how you can make them too..

You Will Need..

I used cheddar, but you could use parmesan for more flavour.. Most dogs LOVE cheese.

I used 2 medium sized tomatos to make my own tomato juice. Just dice the tomatos, put in the microwave for 2 minutes then using a blender, blend until it looks like a juice.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.

Mix the flour and cheese in a large bowl.

Put 2/14 cups of the flour/cheese mixture into the food processor. Set the rest aside for the spinach mixture.

Add tomoato juice and 2 tablespoons oil.

Mix together until a ball of red dough forms.

Remove and set aside. Rinse out the food processor.

Put the spinach and the water into the food processor to finely chop the spinach.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and remaining cheese/flour mixture.

Process to form a green dough.

Roll out the red dough, and the green dough seperately on a floured surface, trying to make them roughly the same size.

Stack the green dough ontop of the red dough, roll lightly to stick them together, and using a christmas tree cutter (or any cutter) cut out shapes and place onto a cookie tray lined with baking paper.

After cutting out the cookies, re-roll the dough and cut out more shapes, or cut out squares for two-toned training treats.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until just starting to brown on top.

If you want your treats to be crispier, leave them in the cooling oven overnight to harden.

Place in an airtight christmas container for your dog to enjoy on Christmas day.

On The Seventh Day of Christmas...

My true love gave to me.... A Recipe for Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark.
Here's the Printable

You Will Need...

1/2 Cup Cocoa PowderPreheat your oven to 160 dregrees celsius.

Mix the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar together with a hand mixer or on your stand mixer until creamy.Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.Stir in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.Spread the mixture out evenly onto a cookie tray/brownie tray. You might need 2.I didn't line mine, but you can if you want. It was easier to spread out evenly without the baking paper.If you haven't already, crush your candy canes. You can do it however you want - in a food processor or with your rolling pin.Bake for about 14 minutes, until the tops start to look dull.Remove from the oven (1 at a time if you're using 2 trays) and sprinkle half the white chocolate ontop of one tray. (All of it if you only have the 1 cookie tray)Let sit for about 30 seconds, until it has melted slightly and you are now able to spread it around. Spread the white chocolate over the top of the cookie.Sprinkle crushed Candy Canes over the top.Let cool completely before cutting into squares. You can also just break them into irregular pieces, but I like things to be more uniform. You do whatever you like.Keep in an airtight container for no longer then a week.

On The Sixth Day Of Christmas...

My true love gave to me...

A Gingerbread Cookie Recipe - Printable

You Will Need...

The white stuff is baking spray... I didn't want my golden syrup sticking to the bowl..

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees celsius and line one or two cookie trays with baking paper.

Place the flour, mixed spice, ginger and bi carb soda into a bowl.

Place the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat.

Stir until melted.

Pour onto the dry ingredients.

Mix together until combined.

Then add the egg, and mix together to make a dough.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll out until about 3-5mm thick.

The dough will be soft at first, but will harden as it cools. It's easier to work with when it is still a bit warm.

Cut out your shapes. And re-knead, re-roll and re-cut any left over bits of dough until you have used it all up.

Place the cutout pieces onto your prepared cookie trays, and place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. (until firm and lightly browned)

When they are cooked, you can decorate them with some icing.

I don't know the exact quantities of icing sugar - water that I used.

Start with a cup of icing sugar, and add a couple of drops of water at a time. Mix until you get an even consitency. Then add your colours. You don't want the icing mixture to be too runny otherwise you can't pipe it properly and it leaks off the sides.
REMEMBER: liquid colours will make your icing runnier, so keep that in mind when adding the water.

Put the icing mixture into either a ziploc bag with the tip of one corner cut off, or a piping bag with a plain nozzle.

Decorate as you see fit. Have fun, they don't need to be perfect!!I put some of my cookies onto these cupcakes for a bbq that we had at our house.You could put them in mini tins as last minute christmas gifts. Or wrap them up in their own individual cellophane bags.

Merry Christmas!

Afternoon Delight

My friend didn't want a big fuss over her birthday. So a nice afternoon of drinks & nibbles and then onto the Claremont for a Sunday Session was perfect for her!
She asked me to make cupcakes for the party, and wanted them colourful...

Happy 21st Jessie!!