Hi everyone! I’m very excited! In 3 days time it will be Christmas! Have you all done your Christmas shopping? I usually like to shop for Christmas gifts in advance but for the first time in many years, we’ll be doing a last-minute Christmas rush.  I just hope in the process that I don’t get elbowed, jabbed or kicked.

Also for the first time, I made these easy peasy shortbread cookies.  It uses the usual shortbread recipe but I’ve added cocoa to give it just a tad of a Christmas-y feeling.  The end result gave a subtle cocoa taste with a  buttery crumb that melts in the mouth. Yum yum. I used my little girl’s toy christmas tree and gingerbread boy cookie cutter for these

Packaged or wrapped beautifully, these would be perfect to hand out to guests during Christmas. Recipe can be found below.

So, that about wraps it up for 2012 from Much a Munch. It’s been a terrific year. Had my second bub in July and finally met a fabulous bunch of Sydney food bloggers. For now, my family and I wish you and yours a wonderful and safe Christmas and a happy start to 2013.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies – makes roughly 50 bite size cookies

Ingredients:

250g unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups plain flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp salt

Method:

In a medium to large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt and gently mix together with a whisk or spoon.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer on high-speed, beat the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla extract. Lower mixer speed and slowly add the flour mixture and continue to mix until incorporated.

Turn the dough out onto a plastic wrap and flatten to a disc shape and refrigerate for about 1 hour. This makes cutting easier.

Pre-heat oven to 170°C and line a couple of cookie trays with baking paper. Take out dough from fridge and place between sheets of baking paper. Flatten dough with a rolling-pin to about ½ cm thick and cut out shapes of your choice and place cookies on the lined cookie tray. Press and flatten the remaining dough and cut out some more cookies until finished.

Bake in the oven (middle rack) for about 10 minutes. Leave on cookie tray for 5 minutes to cool then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.