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Finally we found enough time to decorate our Christmas tree. Marusa was over the moon when we got all Christmas decorations out of the cupboard. She was amazing and in just a few seconds the whole room was full of sparkly Christmas decoration. She was making beautiful patterns on the floor, with red baubles of course, before we even started decorating a Christmas tree. What a joy!

Putting up the Christmas tree and lights is the usual for my husband while the rest was more or less a job for the girls. It didn't take long for Marusa to become the commander in chief eloquently directing where the various decorations should be on the tree. She was so consumed by her role that I just left her do all the decoration by herself. I then usually make final touches and corrections while she is asleep. This may seem awful and I am sorry if it is but my art teaching years have had their toll.

Meanwhile my husband prepared a warm Winter Mocha mug and hot chocolate for Marusa. What an awesome idea! The whole room was filled with a  festive smell of cinnamon, cardamom and other spices. But there wouldn't be a perfect evening without some Christmas cookies, right. In the afternoon I was in a baking mood and took my sugar cookie recipe (I added some cocoa powder to this recipe). Of course, my daughter decorated some of the cookies with white icing - her favorite part of baking. Some sugar cookies ended up on our Christmas tree together with Christmas cookies decoration we baked weeks in advance, but the rest of sugar cookies went on the table (to avoid family upheaval, if you know what I mean...).

Oops, I shouldn't really forger the sugar cookie recipe should I! Here it is:

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Method (step by step):

	STEP 1: Measure the butter (115g/1/2 cup) and caster sugar (150g/3/4 cup) into a bowl.
	STEP 2: Beat until evenly blended.
	STEP 3: Add beaten egg with vanilla to butter and sugar mixture (a little at a time and beating well between each addition).
	STEP 4: Put together all purpose flour (180g), salt (pinch), baking powder (1/2tsp) and cocoa (50g).
	STEP 5: Whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.
	STEP 6: Add the flour & cocoa mixture to egg & sugar mixture and beat...
	STEP 7: ...until well combined.
	STEP 8: Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap. Put it in a fridge for at least one hour. The dough is ready for baking when firm enough for rolling out.
	STEP 9: Roll the dough (4mm/0.157in thick) on a baking parchment or flour the work surface well to prevent sticking. Don't forget to flour the rolling pin as well. Before cutting flour cookie cutters to prevent sticking and start cutting different shapes. Don't forget to make a hole for a string at the top of every cookie (I forgot - see below!).
	STEP 10: Bake them on 190C/fan 170C/gas 5/375F for 10 minutes. Leave the cookies to cool on the trays before lifting off.   Store them in an airtight container where they will stay fresh for a week.

 

Our coffee choice for sugar cookie recipe:

Hot chocolate
Mocha mug

 

Useful baking tips:

• Bake sugar cookies in the pre-heated oven, on the top shelf.

• Don't open the oven door in the first stages of baking.

• Don't overload your oven with baking trays otherwise they will be cooked unevenly.

• Use metal spatula for lifting them off.

• Always read the recipe carefully and tick off ingredients to prevent missing anything.

Good to know:

• Cocoa powder is much healthier then milk chocolate.

• Cocoa has tremendously important antioxidant properties.

• Cocoa powder may have many health benefits. It could lower blood pressure and improve blood flow.

• A cup of bitter, unsweetened cocoa has almost three times the antioxidants of a cup of green tea, black tea or a glass of red wine (though, I am not giving up any of those!).

 

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