CHRISTMAS-SPICED RED VELVET CRACKLE COOKIES
MAKES 26
1½ cups (225g) plain flour
1 tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp bicarb soda
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 tsp red gel food colouring
1 cup (120g) pure icing sugar, sifted
Sift flour, cocoa, mixed spice and bicarb into a large bowl. Stir in caster sugar. Make a well and add the butter, eggs and food colouring, stirring until well combined. Chill for 30 minutes to firm up mixture.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 3 large baking trays and line with baking paper.
Roll 1 tbs mixture into a ball, then repeat with remaining dough to make about 26 cookies. Toss balls, one at a time, in icing sugar until well coated. Place on prepared trays, 6cm apart. Pile more icing sugar on top of each ball (this will result in a thicker and more even sugar coating as the cookies spread out while baking). Bake for 16-18 minutes until cookies are just starting to firm up on
