Festive Treats

Its Christmas holidays for the kids and they love to mess up in the kitchen with me preparing treats and having fun. This year we decided to make it a chocolicious christmas. So here goes two of our fave treats which combine well with tea, coffee and milk alike. After a whole afternoon of floury counters and buttery fingers we prepared these and then had a long lazy and definitely calorie packed snack break.
Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy these treats with your kids now and always.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler.

Mix all ingredients together.

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Balls
Ingredients: (Makes about 30)
8 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup each chopped almonds and walnuts
1/3 cup each craisins (dried cranberries), chopped dried apricots and unsweetened dry coconut.

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler ( indirectly heating chocolate in a bowl kept over a pan of hot water, see image) 
2. Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. 
3. Drop spoonfuls into muffin liners and leave at room temperature for 2 hours to set. 
4. Enjoy with coffee or tea. 
5. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Pinwheel Biscuits
Ingredients: (makes about 16 )
1cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Divide all ingredients into two portions. We will make a vanilla dough and a chocolate dough. 
2. Sieve together flour, salt and baking powder. 
3. Cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. 
4. Add flour and vanilla extract and milk to make a stiff white dough. 
5. Add flour, vanilla extract and milk along with cocoa powder to make a stiff chocolate dough. 
6. Thinly roll out both to about an eight of an inch thickness and similar length and width dimentions. 
7. Place one on top of the other and carefullt roll them from one end tightly into a roll. 
8. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
9. Cut 1/4 inch thick slices and place on a greased cookie sheet. 
10. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Do not overbake. 
11. Cool for 10 minutes before digging in.