Kerrie Christmas 7 - Spice Cookies

I have a cupboard of cooking things that do not get used that often, mostly cutters and cake tins, collected over many years of baking. I was looking for my large Christmas tree tin and came across my biscuit forcer. I love all the different discs and the patterns they form.

It triggered a little trip down memory lane. My mother used to make forcer biscuits quite often, we mostly had the plain vanilla version and sometimes a ginger and spice variety. The spice ones remind a little of Speculaas and with the spice flavour are sort of 'Christmassy'. 

The dough can also be rolled into small balls and flattened with a fork or your fingertips. If using the forcer do not use cooking paper on the tray, it is best to pipe directly onto a very lightly greased tray.

Spice cookies 

Ingredients

250 g butter, soft

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 tablespoon mixed spice

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/4 cups plain flour

Method

Beat butter and sugar, add egg, vanilla and spices.

Stir in flour. It should form a soft dough.

Refrigerate for 40 minutes or so until the dough becomes firm.

Use the biscuit forcer to pipe out the cookies, allow room to spread. Pipe onto a very lightly greased tray.

Bake at 190 deg C for 8  to 10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown and slightly darker on the edges.

Cool and dust with icing sugar.