Yesterday I went to a Christmas Cookie Party at an American friend’s flat. In case you haven’t been sucked into the (brilliant) American tradition of Christmas cookies, here is how a cookie party works.

Everyone brings a big batch of cookies (ideally made from scratch!) so that everyone can take home 2-3 of each kind. Sometimes you bring copies of the recipe for everyone. Most times you share a story about your cookies.

Because I spent all day Saturday volunteering, I was a bit stressed about finding time to shop. So I searched for a recipe that I could make with all the basics we have in the house. I ended up baking an old-fashioned traditional cookie called snickerdoodles!

You’ll love them, and here is the recipe if you’d like to try. Credit goes to JoyofBaking.com.

Ingredients

Cookies:
360 grams plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
227 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
300 grams granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coating:
66 grams granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. If the dough is soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to roll into balls (one to two hours).

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape the dough into 2.5 cm round balls.

Coating: In a large shallow bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared pan, spacing about 5 cm apart. Then, using the bottom of a glass, gently flatten each cookie to about 1.5 cm thick.

Bake the cookies for about 8 – 10 minutes, or until they are light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Can store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for about 10 – 14 days.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Celebrity chef Lesley Waters has created a bunch of delicious (and frugal!) recipes for Soft Scoop. The recipes include four seasonally themed puddings to posh up your favourite ice cream. So fun!

CHRISTMAS

Ice Cream Croissant

Want a delicious alternative to Christmas pud or a fun brunch addition? This is one that children and adults alike will love!

Makes 4 – 82p per serving

4 plain croissants, split
2 bananas, sliced
100g blueberries
4 scoops Walls Soft Scoop Vanilla ice cream
55g dark chocolate, melted
Icing sugar to dust

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6
2. Fill the plain split croissants with the sliced banana. Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 3-4 minutes
3. Remove from oven and fill each with a scoop of Soft Scoop Vanilla ice cream and blueberries
4. Place on serving plate and drizzle each with a little melted chocolate. Dust with icing sugar just before serving

EASTER

Neopolitan Ice Cream Trifle

You can whip up this luscious Neapolitan ice cream pudding in minutes. Use your favourite chocolate and any flavour of Soft Scoop ice cream.

Serves 4 – £1.29 per serving

450g strawberries
250g ready-made ginger cake
8 scoops Wall’s Soft Scoop Neapolitan ice cream
100g Chocolate, melted
2tbsp blanched pistachios, chopped

1.     Mash half the strawberries with a fork to make a fruity sauce and set aside. Slice the remaining strawberries
2.     Cut the ginger cake into small cubes
3.     Layer the ice cream, ginger cake, sliced strawberries and strawberry sauce into four tall, chilled glasses
4.     Top with the melted chocolate and finish with pistachios. Serve straight away

SUMMER

Summer Iced Puddings

These individual iced summer puddings are simple yet classy. Kids will love mashing the meringues and making the mixture.

Serves 4 – less that £1.50 per serving

350g Wall’s Soft Scoop Raspberry Ripple ice cream
4 ready-made meringue nests
115g strawberries, hulled and quartered + extra for decorating
175g raspberries
2tsp runny honey

1.     Line 4 x 150ml ramekin dishes or freezer-proof teacups with cling film and set to one side.
2.     Place the Raspberry Ripple ice cream in a bowl and crumble over the meringues. Add the strawberries and half of the raspberries and gently fold in
3.     Spoon the mixture equally between the 4 prepared ramekins or teacups and level out. Cover well with cling film and place in the freezer for 1 ¼ hours
4.     Meanwhile make the raspberry sauce. Place the remaining raspberries in a blender with 15ml/1tbsp water and whiz until smooth. Stir in the honey
5.     Turn the iced puddings out on to serving plates and remove the cling-film. Drizzle each with the raspberry sauce and arrange a few extra strawberries alongside or on top. Serve straight away

HALLOWEEN

Bonfire Bananas

A hot banana split filled with creamy Soft Scoop Vanilla ice cream and clusters of crunchy popcorn make a spooky treat.

Serves 4 – 49p per serving

4 x medium sized bananas
4 scoops Wall’s Soft Scoop Vanilla ice cream
100g toffee popcorn
2tbsp golden syrup or runny honey

1.     Place the whole bananas on the barbeque or place on a baking tray in a preheated oven 190C/Gas 5 and bake for 8-10 minutes until the bananas are black and softened
2.     Put the ice cream in a bowl and gently stir in two thirds of the popcorn
3.     Split each banana down the middle in its skin and open out to expose the creamy flesh
4.     Place on a serving plate and spoon the ice cream mixture into each split banana
5.     Top each with a little extra popcorn and a drizzling of golden syrup or honey. Serve straight away

Through Sunday, Sizzling Pub Co has a scoop-a-dooper offer on (yes, I said it)!

With a voucher, all children will receive a free ice cream (that’s two scoops of chocolate and/or vanilla) with the purchase of any small or regular meal, sandwich or burger.

To get in on the fun, locate your nearest Sizzling Pub Co, click on ‘news and offers’ and print your voucher.

If your neighborhood is big on trick-or-treating, be prepared for a night of fun! If you haven’t bought your sweets yet, here’s a rundown of prices around town:

ASDA

Milky Way, Mars, Twix and Maltesers Funsize for 3 for £4
Expires 1/12/09

Cadbury Heroes, Cadbury Roses, Nestle Quality Street and Mars Celebrations for £5

These and more ASDAs trick-or-treat offers listed here

Tesco

Cadbury’s Treatsize Variety Tub and Swizzels Spooky Selection for £5
Expires 27/10/09

Cadbury’s Treatsize Buttons, Dairy Milk, Twirls and Crunchie 2 for £3
Expires 3/11/09

Milky Way, Mars, Mars Stars, Twix and Maltesers Funsize for £2
Expires 27/10/09

Nestle Quality Street for £5
Expires 20/10/09

Haribo Trick or Treat Bag for £3
Expires 3/11/09

These and more Tesco trick-or-treat offers listed here

Sainsbury’s

Animated trick-or-treat bowl for £6.99 (see snap)

Milky Way, Mars, Bounty, Twix and Maltesers Funsize for £1.50

These and more Sainsbury’s trick-or-treat offers listed here

Waitrose

Large pumpkin trick-or-treat bag for £6

Halloween milk chocolate eyeballs, spiders and pumpkins for £1.29

Swizzels Party Time tub of mixed sweets (3.5 kg) £14.99

These and more Waitrose trick-or-treat offers listed here

This is cheesy but cute, and you’re probably going to buy the biscuits anyway so why not take advantage?

Cadbury Chocolate Biscuits are giving away free, personalised mugs with the purchase of promotional packages of Cadbury Chocolate Digestives, Rich tea, Shortcake and Oat & Choc Chip biscuits.

Visit www.cadburybiscuitsmug.com and enter the code on the back of your package, upload your favourite snap and you’re good to go. Offer will expire mid-December.

A friend came back from holiday in New York and brought this incredible invention: Cup-a-Cake. I know, it’s genius.

Cup-a-Cake is a container specifically designed to transport one cupcake perfectly so it doesn’t smoosh or lose its icing, even if turned upside down or jiggled around in a handbag or backpack.

According to the company’s website, there aren’t any stores here that sell them. However, you can order directly from the site using PayPal. Price for one is $2.99 plus $5.80 shipping, price for 10 is $29.90 plus $8.80 shipping. Not cheap with those shipping rates, but possibly worth a splurge for a gift (even if its a gift to oneself!)

Sure its getting colder, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up ice cream full stop. Here are two offers to treat your family without breaking the budget:

• Morrisons currently have Walls Classic Cornetto’s at half price at £1 for a pack of 6
• Asda are currently offering 2 for £3 on Mini Milk 12 pack and Mini Twister 8 pack

I just got wind of a special offer on Thorntons Halloween lollies that are on sale in stores and online for 3 for £2, 5 for £3 or 69p apiece.

Take your pick from the milk chocolate skeleton, white chocolate ghost and milk chocolate pumpkin.

Trick or Treat, anyone?