Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Sunday 21 December 2014

A little bit of Christmas baking

It's nearly Christmas. Do you go all out and do a lot of Christmas baking? Or only a little?

In truth Christmas in the Australian summer is not the best time for baking, so I usually target a cooler day to cook.





Looking for a simple Christmas cookie recipe? Try these Ginger Stars.


To find the recipe, please click on "read more" to read more!



You'll need:
2 cups self raising flour
2 teaspons ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
4oz (110gms) butter of margarine
1 egg
4 dessertspoons golden syrup

Beat butter and sugar together well. Add egg, syrup and then dry ingredients. Roll out (not too thin) and cut into shapes with a star cutter.
Bake in moderate oven (190C) for about 15 minutes.


Need to make something quick and easy to take to a morning tea or supper get-together? Try these easy-peasy Cheese & Bacon Puffs.

You will need:
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, lighten beaten
2 cups grated cheese
4 bacon rashers, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped (or use spring onions or chives)
1 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Combine milk and egg in a large bowl, mix well. Add cheese, bacon, onion, sifted flour and mustard. Mix until combined. 
Drop teaspoons of mixture onto baking paper covered oven trays.
Cooking in hot oven, 200C, for about 15 minutes or until golden.
Great served freshly baked and still warm.


And what about these delicious little mini Christmas puddings?

You will need:
800g fruit cake (any cheap shop bought Christmas cake or fruit cake will do)
180g dark chocolate (I used Old Gold)
1/4 cup brandy
white chocolate bits, and red and green glace cherries for decoration.

Crumble the cake and melt chocolate. Mix together with the brandy.
Roll the mixture into small balls (about golf ball size)
Melt a small amount of white chocolate and drizzle over the puddings.
Cut up the glace fruit to decorate (so they look like red berries and leaves)
Only garnish a few puddings at a time as the white chocolate sets very quickly. 
Refrigerate.


So there you go. Three simple recipes.  Enjoy!

Wishing you all the joy and good-will of the festive season. I hope it is spent with the love of your family around you. 

Do you have some simple Christmas baking recipes? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in the comments. 



Thanks for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, Our World Tuesday, Wednesday Around the World,  and What's It Wednesday.  Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
What's It Wednesday

You might also like:

Christmas baking while it's baking hot in Australia 
Summer fruit sorbet 
 Summer plum galette

24 comments:

  1. Jill, Merry Christmas to you and your family! They all look delicious and I am all for easy recipes.. Thanks for sharing these three recipes. Enjoy your Christmas week ahead!

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  2. Jill, these look so great, it's 23 hours here and I'm getting humngry again, after having dinner four hours ago... Thank you for sharing the recipes, I'll definitely try the cheese and bacon puffs!

    Happy Christmas to you and have wonderful holidays!

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  3. Your baking all looks delicious Jill, thanks for including the recipes.
    Thank you for linking to Mosaic Monday.
    Merry Christmas.

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  4. My but these all look tasty!! Merry Christmas to you!!!!

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  5. Thanks for the baking ideas. I still haven't decided if I will do anything much yet. I don't have long to decide though. These all look tasty!

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  6. Holiday baking is always such fun! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Merry Christmas!

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  7. You made me hungry!!! All looks so delicious!

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  8. No Jill, I don't bake in the hot Aussie summer months... nor in the cold ones if the truth be known but I do admire and love seeing your baking :)
    Happy christmas to you.
    Wren x

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  9. The little Xmas Puds look divine! I always make a traditional Xmas Pudding (which evidently I'm famous for!) and now I am stuck with making this year after year. I also like to bake a ham. I love Xmas fare!

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  10. Oh My !!! Those all look really good. Those sausage rolls look yummy...

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  11. yum yum yum! ok I'm hungry now lol

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  12. Snap! I have the exact same cheese & bacon puff recipe - I take it EVERYWHERE - and a friend gave me the mini puddings recipe just yesterday! Anything ginger works for me - so that's 3 out of 3 winners!! I've been told not to turn up to Xmas if I don't have my home made currant & pine nut stuffing muffins - I adapted it from an old stuffing recipe I found in a magazine and bake it in a muffin tin so everyone has their own mini-stuffing (or 5 or 6, if you're anything like my family)!!! Have a wonderful Xmas - I'm already looking forward to next year's posts!

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  13. How charming and delicious! Wishing you a merry time at Christmas.

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  14. I let someone else do the baking now (after years of me doing it all), but I have to admit -- I love your recipes and my "baking" bug is beginning to itch! ;)

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  15. Oh yes, all of these look amazing and I will have to try them some time soon. My favorite Christmas cookie is a sugar cookie that took me years to come up with perfect recipe for and iced of course. It will not happen this year though...huge sigh...It is very early here, but I wanted to be sure and say Merry Christmas to you. My left arm is still not pain free and it is causing numbness down into left hand and so I will be copying and pasting this message for my blogging friends, but did not want to leave anyone out of this greeting, coming from my heart to your own. We have a blog draft in the works for publishing on Friday and then a hope and a prayer that the New Year will be good to everyone~

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  16. Everything looks so delicious! Wishing you much joy in this season of love.

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  17. Mmmm... Lokes so tasteful ♥

    Wish that your Christmas was great. Have a nice start of 2015 too.
    http://tillklippt.blogspot.se/

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  18. Hi again Jill. Your first image share...the bottom left and right. What are those items and can you share the recipes for them...maybe FB message me, so I will be sure to see them. Everything looks so wonderful. I had to write out a couple of the recipes very carefully, since we cannot copy your pages. Hugs and thanks~

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  19. Everything looks really delicious, Jill!
    Wishing you all the best for the new year 2015!

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  20. I have eaten ALL the food this holiday and now you have made me want ginger cookies

    Mollyxxx

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