Home Economics 

                                                              Christmas cooking    

Recipe: Fruit Mince Pies-

This week our senior students learned how to make mince pies. They also learned how to make shortcruts pastry from scratch and how to roll out the pastry to the right thickness for pie bases and tops.

What to do:  Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celscius fan-forced. 

    

2. Lightly greased two patty pans.

    

3. Sift flour and custard powder together into a bowl. Stir in sugar. Rub in butter using fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add yolk and enough water to form a firm dough. Knead lightly. Wrap in plastic wraps. Chill 30 minutes. 

1. Roll out pastry between two sheets baking paper until 3 mm thick. Using a 7.5 cm cutter, cut 16 rounds. Press one round into each recess. 

    

1. Spoon one tablespoon fruit mince into each recess. Using a 5 cm cutter, cut 16 rounds for tops. Using small star cutters, cut stars from centre of each. Top each pie with a round. Brush with whisked egg white, sprinkle with sugar.

    

2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Rest in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

GERMAN PFEFFERNUSSE CHRISTMAS BISCUITS

Upper Junior students learned how to make German Pfeffernusse biscuits pronounced “pefanussa” which mean ‘pepper nut’ for the pinch of pepper added to the dough before baking. You can find these biscuits in supermarkets, but they are easy biscuits to make. These biscuits taste and smell of cinnamon, allspice and ginger that are popular spices in Christmas baking. 

Ingredients:

125g softened unsalted butter

¾ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup golden syrup

1 egg, beaten

1 ½ cups plain flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon ginger

A pinch of ground white pepper 

¼ teaspoon bicarb of soda 

Icing: 2 cups pure icing sugar

1 ½ tablespoons boiling water 

How to make: 

1. Preheat oven 160C fan forced. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. 
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, golden syrup until fluffy. Add an egg and beat until combined. 
3. Sift flour, spices, pinch of pepper and bicarb of soda over butter mixture. Beat on low speed until combined.
4. Using one tablespoon at a time, roll mixture into balls. Place on prepared trays about 4cm apart. Slightly flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden and firm to touch. Cool completely on trays. 
5. To make the glaze, sift icing sugar into a small bowl. Add boiling water and stir until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie, working one at a time, into the glaze to coat. Allow excess glaze to drain. Place on a wire rack, set over a baking tray. Stand for one hour or until set. Serve.