Red Nose Day Cookies

Red Nose Day Cookies

So it’s that time again, Red Nose Day is nearly upon us (15 March) and we are all supposed to do something funny for money as it is the turn of Comic Relief to raise money this year! To celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of Red Nose Day, Sainsbury’s challenged their bloggers to come up with a Red Nose Day Cookie and I have to say my first instinct was leave it to the experts, you know the ones who can rustle up an edible rose just by looking at a bag of icing sugar. So then I talked myself round and decided that winning is not important, it’s the taking part and having some fun that are. My cookies weren’t going to be works of art, but something a child could easily make by themselves and sell at a fund raising event (well that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it)!

With that in mind I reached to my Home-Economics index box for inspiration and came across a recipe for Fork Biscuits and decided they were going to have a Comic Relief make-over. This involved dying them red, plonking a glace cherry on top and painting their back sides with dark chocolate. I’m sure my old teacher Mrs Stevens wouldn’t mind, it’s in a good cause after all. The result was absolutely delicious and the cookies didn’t stay in the tin very long. They are short and buttery and the cherry and chocolate combo works a treat.

For all the latest official information and fund raising ideas visit the Red Nose Day website. There are also some fab ideas over at Sainsbury’s too!

To make these cookies I also took the opportunity to try out my new George Wilkinson, Great British Bakeware Insulated Baking Sheet which is part of the vintage styled range (duck pattern on the back!). The range is coated with GlideX the ultimate performing non-stick coating which won’t flake or scratch – guaranteed for 15 years! I never knew that you could get a baking sheet the size of your oven shelf so instead of the usual 2. I only needed to use 1. This not only saves on the washing up but also on energy costs, often I’ve made enough biscuits to cover say 3 to 4 medium baking trays and have had to keep the oven on for an extra 15 minutes baking the next batch. So this baking sheet was a winner all round for its looks, the fact that my biscuits just glided off the sheet once baked and the saving to be made with regard to fuel efficiency & washing up!

Once you’ve creamed your butter and sugar together, you add vanilla, colour & flour.

Roll 14 balls of dough & decorate with a cherry then bake.

Once cooled paint base with melted dark chocolate.

I can’t tell you how much I wanted to eat one of these cookies whilst writing up this post, but alas they had all gone!

No-one is going to resist these beauties at a bake sale!

NB:: I was sent a voucher from Sainsbury’s to put towards the ingredients of my Cookies and I received the Baking Sheet from George Wilkinson.

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5 from 3 votes

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Red Nose Day Cookies

Red Nose Day Cookies that melt in the mouth, flavoured with vanilla, decorated with a cherry and a dark chocolate base.

Course Snack

Cuisine British

Prep Time 18 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 36 minutes

Servings 14

Author Camilla

Ingredients

• 115 g / 4 oz Butter softened
• 55 g / 2 oz Caster sugar
• 140 g / 5 oz Self raising flour
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp approx Red food colouring
• 14 Glace cherry halves
• 100 g / 3.5 oz Dark Chocolate

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175°C.
2. Grease 1 large or 2 medium sized baking sheets.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
4. Add vanilla extract and food colouring.
5. Work in the flour gradually with a wooden spoon.
6. Form into 14 balls by rolling between your palms.
7. Place balls on baking sheet allowing room to spread and pop a glace cherry half on each.
8. Bake for 13 - 15 minutes being careful not to let them brown.
9. Allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
10. Once cool, melt the chocolate in bowl over a pan of water barely simmering.
11. Using a pastry brush, paint the base of each cookie with chocolate and allow to set chocolate side up.
12. Once set take to your fund raising event and watch them fly!

Recipe Notes

Why not leave the food colouring out when you just want to enjoy a delicious cookie at any other time of year!