...it's almost the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas Day, 1996

As I sit here drinking my 3rd cup of peppermint tea I am filled with such giddy excitement and joy...only two more Monday's left of work before I jet off back home to the UK for Christmas!

You see for or those who do not know me personally, I make Buddy the Elf look like Ebenezer Scrooge!

I don't know what it is about this time of year that has captured my heart the way Christmas has. Is it the lights, the music and movies, the food maybe? Or perhaps something deeper than that - you see to me Christmas is all about love. The love we share with our family and friends whilst we tear a cracker together over lunch, the love we feel when remembering those no longer here, the love we show when choosing the perfect gift for someone special, knowing the best part about the gift giving, is the look on their face when they open that little piece of love.

My friends think I'm crazy and perhaps maybe I am! I start planning Christmas in September usually - what am I going to make, eat, share and create?! This year is even more special however as I, like the song says, I'll be home for Christmas; even as I type the words I feel a lump in my throat.

I cannot begin to explain the pure and utter joy that fills me knowing I will be back home for my favourite time of year, making new memories with my loved ones, seeing familiar faces again and feeling a chill on my face as I marvel at the impressive lights and decorations that fill the streets of London. It's almost childlike but I'm ok with that. 363 days of the year I have to be a grown up, pay bills, save for a  house, this is my time to just be that big kid again!

So to kick off the festive feels for all of you that actually wait till the end of November early December to start feeling festive, I thought I'd share with you my infamous gingerbread cookie recipe to get your home smelling festive and you heart feeling full with all that joy that Christmas has to offer! I hope you love them as much as I do and would love to hear of any recipes or things you do to make yourself feel festive during this, the most wonderful time of year!

Ingredients
 
3 cups of plain white flour
½ cup of golden syrup
¼ cup of brown sugar
2 tsp of ground cinnamon
2 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 tsp of bicarb
120 grams of cold butter cubed
¼ cup of apple sauce ( interesting fact - this was by accident - when I began making the cookies and realised I had no eggs and had to Google an egg equivalent, turns out they taste even better with the apple!)

 
Directions
  

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees (fan force oven) for 15 minutes
2. Place all ingredients in a bowl and kneed with clean hands (the heat of your hands will slowly combine the mixture to form a dough)
3. Split the dough into two and roll each mound of dough out onto a baking sheet with parchment.
4. Refrigerate each tray for up to 10 mins
5. Take one out at a time and cut your cookies and place in the oven for 7 minutes.
6. Gather excess dough and roll out again and refrigerate while you grab your next tray out.
7. Once the cookies are cooked place them on a wire rack to cool and decorate as you wish!

 
They last for two weeks if kept in Tupperware - but I know when I make them they usually don't last the night!
 
Until next time, E x

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