Snowy owl Christmas tree biscuits

Name: Snowy owl Christmas tree biscuits
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 125 grams slightly salted butter, softened; 125 grams caster sugar; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 250 grams plain flour; 100 grams packet of whole blanched almond; 100 grams packet of flaked almond, toasted; 126 grams packet of giant white chocolate button; 20 grams packet standard-sized white chocolate button; 50 grams dark chocolate chip; 1 serving fine string, for hanging the biscuits

Snowy owl Christmas tree biscuits is a side dish that serves 6. This recipe covers 16% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. One serving contains 752 calories, 14g of protein, and 45g of fat. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is perfect for Christmas. If you have almond, caster sugar, standard-sized chocolate button, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. If you like this recipe, take a look at these similar recipes: Owl Tree, Christmas Tree Bread, and Christmas Tree Cheesecake.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas

Equipment you will use

Oven

Cream together the butter and sugar, then gradually beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift and stir in the flour and mix to a fairly soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Cover or wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least two hours.

Ingredients you will need

Vanilla Extract

Butter

Cream

Dough

All Purpose Flour

Sugar

Wrap

Egg

Next roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to around 0.5cm thick.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Roll

Cut into oval shapes with a cookie cutter or by cutting round a paper template. You can make mini owl biscuits by using a smaller cutter or template.

Ingredients you will need

Biscuits

Equipment you will use

Cookie Cutter

Transfer the biscuits to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Put different sized biscuits on separate trays.

Ingredients you will need

Biscuits

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Place the whole almonds into the dough to create the owls' eyebrows and beaks. If creating decorations for the tree, make a hole near the top of the biscuits using the end of a paintbrush.

Ingredients you will need

Almonds

Biscuits

Dough

Bake in the oven for 8 - 14 minutes, depending on the size of the biscuits, until the edges turn lightly golden in colour. Once out of the oven, leave the biscuits on the baking tray to cool.

Ingredients you will need

Biscuits

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Oven

To decorate, set aside enough white chocolate buttons to create the owls' eyes - use giant or standard-sized buttons depending on the size of the owls - the biggest you can fit are best to give a truly owl-like expression. Melt the remainder in the microwave or in a bowl over barely simmering water.

Ingredients you will need

White Chocolate

Water

Equipment you will use

Microwave

Bowl

Using a small tipped paintbrush, carefully paint and stick down the decorations. Stick on the white chocolate buttons, then the dark chocolate chips on top to make the eyes. Neatly paint more melted chocolate over each owl's chest, pressing on the flaked almonds. You can layer the almonds with extra white chocolate.

Ingredients you will need

Dark Chocolate Chips

White Chocolate

Chocolate

Almonds

If you find some of the almond eyebrows and beaks have come loose or you are planning to hang the owls on the tree, use some of the melted chocolate to stick them in place. Leave to set.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Almonds

Thread pretty string or fine ribbon into Christmas decorations so you can hang them. Dust with icing sugar and gold edible glitter if using.

Ingredients you will need

Powdered Sugar