Christmas baking

Here in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, it's German tradition to bake old fashioned Honey Biscuits   to serve to friends or family who might drop in over the Christmas season for a cuppa, or a schlook of wine, as the saying goes from our past.
They are time consuming to make; the entire day that it takes to mix, bake and decorate
 is just not going to happen this year, so I made Bumblebees instead.

Oh my goodness, they are so quick and easy to make, I'm seriously considering making these our new Christmas tradition.

I used some of my dried apricots from last year's harvest to add a bit of colour, and there were some of those green and red pieces in the mixed fruit that I bought from the supermarket.
No, they're not the usual healthy style of biscuits that I usually bake to go with a cuppa, but it's Christmas.

Packed up and ready to add to the little Christmas gift packs that I give to some of my friends and work colleagues.

And a wee taste for afternoon tea. For quality control purposes only.  ;-)

This is a much loved and well used old book from the late 70's when I was a young married mother with a toddler and lived on a property at Keyneton in the Barossa Valley, South Australia.  (Not to be confused with Kyneton Vic.)

There's even a recipe in here with my name at the bottom of it which I will show you one day.

So... a couple of tips for baking Bumblebees.

Don't over cook them, keep an eye on them as they will go from perfect to burnt in seconds. Trust me, I know!

Use wet fingers to squeeze the small spoonfuls together when putting on the baking slide. This stops the mixture from sticking to fingers and helps to stop them from falling apart.

Along with the batch of simple shortbread I made, I think I've got the Christmas baking done and dusted.

From the same book. The names under the recipes bring such lovely memories. This woman, Diana, lived on a beautiful farming property just out of Keyneton. I used to take my toddler daughter over there to visit their pet kangaroo.
A couple of tips for the making of this shortbread...
This recipe makes two free form rectangles on one of my large baking sheets. Saves time, bakes more evenly and cuts nicely into squares. Bring the mixture together, and divide into two balls of the same size. Flatten out to shortbread thickness. It has no rising agent so it doesn't rise.
Score the squares and prick each piece with a fork before baking.
I usually bake it in my wood oven, so at times when the oven is a bit hot, it cooks faster. Don't let it brown, as shortbread should be pale in colour, although it usually browns slightly around the edges.
Immediately upon removing from the oven, sprinkle all over with castor sugar and cut into pieces where you scored them.
I don't think anyone will miss the Honey Biscuits.... will they?

Thanks to all who left kind and caring comments in response to my previous blog. Your words are so much appreciated. I wasn't able to respond to your comments without dissolving into an emotional bundle of useless matter.
Lavender is doing really well with her recovery. We are still not out of the woods and she will never again be quite the same, but every day shows us an improvement worth celebrating.
XX :)