Biscuits de Noël (Christmas Cookies) Recipe

With Christmas only a week away, today's recipe is a classic French one for a a classic Christmas biscuit or cookie that is used for decoration and as gifts for children, particularly on Christmas eve. These traditional festive treats and gifts are very easy to prepare.

Biscuits de Noël (Christmas Cookies) Recipe

Ingredients:

175g (9 oz) butter, softened

100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1 egg yolk (medium sized)
250g (10 oz) plain flour

Royal Icing for decorating
Silver decorations (sugar sprinkles, for example)

Method:

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and beat thoroughly to combine then add the flour and bring the ingredients together as a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead well until smooth and elastic.

Cover the dough in clingfilm (plastic wrap) then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After this time, unwrap the dough then roll out to flatten. Place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 2.5mm (1/10 in) thick.

Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and using festive cookie cutters cut out various shapes that evoke the spirit of Christmas. Arrange these on baking trays lined with parchment paper, ensuring that you leave a little space between each biscuit (cookie).

When all the dough has been used up (you can gather the scraps together, re-roll and cut out more shapes), transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly coloured and firm to the touch.

Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool you can decorate them as you fancy with plain and coloured royal icing. Sprinkle over the silver decorations then set aside for the icing (frosting) to dry and harden completely before storing in an air-tight tin or serving.

If you cut holes in the corners of the cookies before baking they can be hung on the Christmas tree and make an edible treat come Christmas morning. They are also ideal served on Christmas Eve with mulled wine.

For hundreds more Christmas recipes, and a look at the foods of Christmas past, why not visit the Celtnet Christmas Recipes home page.

For many hundreds of traditional French recipes, see the Celtnet French Recipes home page.