Choc-Vanilla Christmas Cookies

I think the reason it's called "the festive season" (ignoring the actual season)  is so someone in Australia can bake cookies with snowflakes on them in the middle of summer... and cook a turkey in the oven on a 30+ C day... and boil a traditional Christmas pudding on the stove for hours when the sun is blazing in the sky... and buy Christmas cards with snowmen on them in a heatwave... and then after doing all that, jump in the pool.



Choc-Vanilla Christmas Cookies
from Donna Hay
Makes 8

125g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
225g plain flour, sifted
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the paddle attachment, put the utter and sugar and beat on medium speed for 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for a further 2 minutes. Add the flour and beat on low speed until it form a dough. Remove 2/3 of the mixture and set aside. Add the coco to the 1/3 of mixture left in the bowl and beat until the cocoa is fully incorporated.

Roll each portion of dough to 3mm thick between two sheets of baking paper and chill in the fridge to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and line it with baking paper.

Use a 7cm round cookie cutter to cut 8 rounds from the vanilla dough. Use a 4.5cm snowflake cookie cutter to cut out, you guessed it, snowflakes from the chocolate dough. Place the snowflakes on top of the rounds and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.