There was much kitchen activity here this weekend. The Christmas goodies for teachers bake-fest, the hi-light of which was, as ever, the Mandarin Macadamia Shortbread Sticks. Those suckers are just too good.
I'm going to generously share the recipe (Because Jen's been drooling over them on Flickr and I like to please):
80 g icing sugar
2 tbsp rice flour (got mine at the health food shop, but I' sure it wouldn't matter too much if you left it out - it just gives them a touch more 'snap')
300g plain flour
2tbsp grated mandarin rind
60ml mandarin juice
75g macadamias, toasted and finely chopped
60g dark melted chocolate
Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Fold in other ingredients.
Knead gently on a floured surface till smooth.
Roll tablespoons into sticks roughly 15cm long.
Place on a lightly greased oven tray or a non stick mat.
Bake for 15 to 20 mins until firm. Stand on tray for 5 mins before moving onto a wire rack to cool.
Pipe or drizzle the chocolate onto the shortbread.
They keep for about a week (I think - ours never linger that long) and the recipe makes about 30.
But even though these are my favourite seasonal biscuits to bake for others, there really is nothing to beat cookies made, wrapped and delivered in person by friends who stop by for tea.
I love macadamias, and those shortbread sticks look delicious! Will definitely give those a try. And I still can't believe how many teachers you need to make presents for. You deserve a very big gold star! K x
Posted by: kristina | 16 December 2008 at 13:43
they look divine, and how lucky are you to get cookies like that!
Posted by: driftwood | 16 December 2008 at 16:02
Hot diggedy they look gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Nice to see where Alice's biscuits ended up :)
Posted by: Jo | 16 December 2008 at 16:35
OH my ... such beautiful photographs of yummy-looking food. My stomach's rumbling now - I expect you can hear it from there?! x
Posted by: Kitty | 16 December 2008 at 17:20
Oh
My
God.....
Posted by: bluemountainsmary | 16 December 2008 at 19:57
Yum.
Posted by: Isabelle | 16 December 2008 at 23:20
Oooh lovely! Lucky teachers!
Lucky you too!
xxx
Posted by: Lesley | 17 December 2008 at 10:05
Hello, I have only just discovered you and am very glad I did!
The biscuits look amazing and I think I may be trying out your recipe at the weekend, wondering what they would be like with hazel nuts?
Hope you've got the cardi situation under control, I shouldn't laugh but did so much I nearly cried! That's why I only knit little things!!
The christmas poem is brilliant and if you hadn't pointed it out I never would have noticed the spelling error. Too long working with and caring for children (and people who can't spell) has given me eyes with auto correct!!
Daisie xxx
Posted by: Daisie | 17 December 2008 at 16:44
Yummy!
And just think, if we'd known Gina, Emma and I could have come and set fire to your kitchen as well as mine ;-)
Posted by: dottycookie | 17 December 2008 at 16:54
you had to do that, didn't you? macadamia? my kids won't eat that. Mandarins? only one out of the three does.
See? what's the point... I'd have to eat them all which would be bad, very bad.
That is why we only bake sugar cookies. Unsophisticated lot!!
Posted by: monica | 17 December 2008 at 16:55
After having a choc fest with the girls last week I did not think I could cope with any more choc but these are very yummy looking- I'm just turning the oven on now!
Posted by: Zia Meadows | 18 December 2008 at 12:34
Oh, what beautiful cookies (biscuits)! And great pictures (as always). I know am officially hungry.
frances
Posted by: frances | 18 December 2008 at 13:54
How wonderful and civilized to share cookies!
Posted by: Gina | 18 December 2008 at 18:17
just discovered you. Mmmmm, biscuits look yummy!! Lucky teachers - I may well copy that for next year though!
Posted by: Julie | 20 December 2008 at 15:05