Reindeer Jammie Dodgers

Steps to make Reindeer Jammie Dodgers

1. 1

   Combine flour and butter

   3
   

   In a food processor, pulse the flour and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. 2

   Add sugar and egg yolk

   3
   

   Add sugar and pulse lightly again. Add yolk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Continue pulsing until the mixture begins to come together.

4. 3

   Knead

   5
   

   Roll out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

5. 4

   Refrigerate

   45
   

   Portion into two discs, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour, until chilled and firm.

6. 5

   Preheated oven and prepare baking sheet

   10

   Preheat the oven to 170 °C, fan 150°C, gas 3 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

7. 6

   Cut cookie shapes

   10
   

   Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape out one disc to 3mm thick. Using an 11cm tall gingerbread man cutter stamp out the dough, re-rolling the offcuts until all of the first disc of dough is used.

8. 7

   Cut out nose

   15
   

   Turn the gingerbread men upside down so their legs are facing away from you and using a 1cm round cutter cut out a circle in the lower half of the head part of each gingerbread man, for the jam-filled nose. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate a second time for at least 10 minutes to set and firm up.

9. 8

   Prepare second side of Jammie Dodger

   10
   

   With the second disc of dough, cut out more gingerbread shapes, without nose piercings, for the other side of the Jammie Dodger.

10. 9

    Bake

    14
    

    Bake the biscuits for 12-14 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool completely.

11. 10

    Add jam

    5
    

    Once cooled, lay the whole biscuits out onto a work space, legs away from you, and spread with a scant teaspoon of jam almost to the edges, on each one.

12. 11

    Prepare buttercream

    5
    

    Using a hand beater, whisk the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together, until soft and cream.

13. 12

    Fill noses

    10
    

    Thinly and evenly spread over the whole other side of each ‘nose pierced’ cookies with the prepared buttercream. Sandwich on top of the jam-sided biscuit and spoon a little more jam into the nose to fill the hole.

14. 13

    Prepare icing sugar

    3
    

    In a separate bowl, sift 25g icing sugar and ½ teaspoon of boiling water. Stir well into a thick, white icing.

15. 14

    Decorate reindeer faces

    10
    

    Spoon both icings into disposable piping bags and snip off the tips to make precise, piping holes. Using the black icing to pipe mouths, ears, eye outlines and antlers. Allow to dry. Once dried use the white icing to fill in the eyes. Allow to dry and then add the black icing again to make pupils in the eyes.

16. 15

    Serve

    30
    

    Allow icing to set completely before serving.