COCOA BUTTER UNDER EYES RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and base line a 1 litre heatproof glass pudding basin and a 450g loaf tin with baking parchment.
• Put the butter and chocolate into a saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring. When the chocolate has all melted remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and muscovado sugar. In another bowl beat together the eggs, soured cream and vanilla extract. Pour the egg and chocolate mixtures into the flour and mix thoroughly together.
• Weigh 250g into the loaf tin, then spoon the rest of the mixture into the pudding basin.
• Cook both cakes side by side in the oven. The loaf cake will cook in about 30 mins and the basin cake in about 1 hour. Take the loaf cake out of the oven and close the oven door quickly so as not to allow the heat out. Test with a skewer inserted into the centre, it should come out clean. If not return to the oven for another five mins. Repeat with the basin cake after about another half an hour. Once each cake is cooked, allow to cool completely before turning out.
• To make the icing, mix together the cocoa and water to make a smooth paste. Beat the butter until soft and gradually beat in the icing sugar. Add the cocoa paste and beat until smooth.
• To assemble the cake, trim the top of the basin cake so it is flat. Turn cut side down onto a board and cut in half vertically. Spread a little butter icing on each of the flat bases and sandwich these two buttercreamed surfaces together to make a rugby ball shape for the hedgehog body. Place onto a 30cm cake board or wooden board. Cut the loaf cake in half vertically. Take one half and trim the short end to a v shape to make the pointy head. Use a little icing to attach to the body. Cut pieces from the remaining loaf cake to fill any gaps. Cover the whole cake in butter icing.
• Cut the flake bars into pieces ranging from 2.5cm to 5cm. The spikes do not have to be regular or even in shape. Starting at the front push the spikes into the body of the hedgehog at a slight angle. Start with the small pieces gradually using larger ones as you go towards the back. Press a round chocolate into the tip of the head to represent the nose and use chocolate chips for the eyes. Using a tiny bit of butter icing attach sliver or gold balls to the eyes.
• The cake is best made the day before cutting and icing and will keep well for 3–4 days.

Steps:

• Put the butter, vanilla and sugar in a big mixing bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon until really smooth. Stir in the ground rice first, then the flour. If it starts to get dry, you might need to use your hands to squish everything together to make a smooth dough.
• Put a piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet. Make the dough into a round ball in the middle of the parchment, then use your hands to push it down and flatten it. Get a rolling pin and dust it with some flour so it doesn’t stick to the dough. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough out to a big circle.
• Get your 22-23cm round plate, cake tin or cardboard template and place on top of the dough when you’ve rolled it big enough. Use a cutlery knife to trim round the edges to make a neat circle. Use the offcuts to make smaller biscuits or freeze the dough for another time.
• Use a knife to mark the giant biscuit into 8 smaller wedge-shaped biscuits – pretend you are cutting a pizza into slices but don't actually cut it. Prick lines from the edge to the centre of the dough. Use the back of a fork to press all around the top of the circle along the edge to make a line pattern (it’s going to be hair for your reindeer!)
• Cover with cling film and put the tray in the fridge for 30 mins to get cold. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook the chilled shortbread for 25 mins until golden. Cool completely on the tray, then use a sharp knife to follow the lines you made with a fork and cut into 8 wedges.
• Mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tsp of water to make a thickish icing. Dunk each red sweet in and use like glue to stick one on the pointy end of each biscuit to make red noses. Dunk in your white sweets or chocolate buttons and stick them 2cm in from the edge at the other end to be eyes. Use the black writing icing tube to add dots to the white eyes, then let all the icing dry and go hard.
• Carefully wrap each biscuit in a square of cellophane or put in a cellophane bag. Twist the middle of a pipe cleaner in a loop around the top of the bag or gathered cellophane to enclose the biscuit. Now twist each end of the pipe cleaner so it looks like the reindeer’s antlers. Add labels and give to your friends and family, or hang on the tree. Will keep for up to 3 days in a cool, dry place.