For the last few years, I have taken to making and sending edible Christmas gifts. Rather than becoming a slave to the commercialism of the season, feeling obliged to spend money on gifts that people neither want or need, I decided to give people something they can enjoy – confectionery!

First up in this year’s hamper is some iced cookies. Who could fail to smile at delicious and dark chocolate cookies, covered with a crisp peppermint flavoured royal icing, shaped like cute seasonal snowmen?

Chocolate and peppermint are two flavours synonymous with the festive season. These cookies can be cut in any festive shape, but I liked the opportunity snowmen gave to customise them, each with different coloured hats and scarves, some with a pipe, and some with hands.

Basic Chocolate Sugar Cookie

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Serves

24

Ingredients

• 125g Unsalted Butter
• 125g Caster Sugar
• 1 Large Free-range Egg
• 125g Golden Syrup
• 390g Plain Flour
• 60g Bournville Cocoa Powder

Directions

1.	In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together
2.	Add in the egg and golden syrup, and mix well
3.	Sift together the flours and the cocoa powder then add into the mixture until you have a firm dough. Chill dough for about 1 hour
4.	Roll out the dough to at least 5mm thick. Cut out your cookies and place on a lined baking tray
5.	Bake in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F for 14-18 minutes depending on size