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Prep Time: 60 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 90 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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This requires a fair bit of work, but the end result will please kids and adults alike and look spectacular on a dessert tray. Ingredients:
1 cup margarine or 1 cup butter, softened |
1/2 cup sugar |
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour |
1/2-1 teaspoon almond extract, your choice re how strong you want the flavour to be |
food coloring |
colored sugar sprinkle |
whole cloves |
cinnamon stick |
Directions:
1. Mix margarine and sugar in medium bowl; stir in flour and almond extract until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Divide dough into 3 equal parts; tint and shape each portion as desired; see below for fruit options.
3. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
5. Bake cookies for about 30 minutes, until they're set but not browned.
6. Apples: Mix red or green food colour into part of dough; shape into small balls; insert small piece of cinnamon stick in top of each stem end and whole clove into bottom of each for blossom end; dilute red or green food colour with water and brush over apples.
7. Apricots: Mix red and yellow food colours into part of dough; shape into small balls; make crease down 1 side of each with a wooden pick; insert whole clove in each for stem end; dilute red food colour with water and brush over apricots.
8. Oranges: Mix red and yellow food colours into part of dough; shape into small balls; insert whole clove in each for blossom end; prick balls with blunt end of wooden pick to resemble texture of orange peel.
9. Pears: Mix yellow food colour into part of dough; shape into small balls, then into cone shapes, rounding narrow end of each; insert small piece of stick cinnamon in narrow end for stem; dilute red food colour with water and brush on cheeks of pears.
10. Bananas: Mix yellow food colour into part of dough; shape into 3-inch rolls, tapering end to resemble bananas; flatten tops slightly to show planes of banana; curve each slightly; paint on characteristic markings with mixture of red, yellow and blue food colours diluted with water.
11. Strawberries: Mix red food colour into part of dough; shape into small balls, then into heart shapes (about 3/4-inch high); prick with blunt end of wooden pick for texture; roll each in red sugar; insert small piece of green-coloured wooden pick or green dough into top of each for stem.
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