Christmas gingerbread...

I mentioned on my to do list that I wanted to make gingerbread biscuits this year.

I didn't think I'd have the time, but I was in the kitchen making salads and other food for the day on Christmas Eve and decided to make the gingerbread in the middle of it all.

Actually, Andrew pretty much did most of it. I got all the stuff organised and read the recipe aloud and did some of the measuring and whatnot, but he did the rest. Good job too.

Yep, that's flour on the biscuits. It's okay, we flicked it off.

Put a couple in some little boxes to take to places on the day too. I bought the boxes from Regal Craft Cards - look under Other items and then Acetate boxes. They're cheap. And they come assembled.

The recipe was from the Women's Weekly and we really liked it. I was also sent another recipe to try (thanks, Rebecca!) and want to try it too. Didn't have all the ingredients on hand for that one as it was slightly different to the WW one.

The verdict?

I don't think we cooked the biscuits enough - they were like bread, rather than biscuits. I really liked them though and will definitely make them again.

One of my other offerings for the day was this icecream thing straight from the free Coles magazine. You know the one you can pick up free as you walk in the store, or through the checkout?

It's chocolate icecream with chopped raspberries through it and vanilla icecream with chopped mint/choc biscuits through it.

A bit of fanagling around getting the icecream to soften, and not completely melt, while trying to stir in the extra bits.

Tip 1: Make this dish in the air con.

Tip 2: Serve this dish in the air con.

Tip 3: Serve it on plates, not in bowls. Flips easier onto plates!

Tip 4: Buy your raspberries on a two for one special. I did not do this. I did buy them on a discount special, so I was lucky.

Tip 5: Buy name brand mint slice biscuits if you want a kick of mint. Buy the generic brand if your family is a bunch of mint wusses.

Tip 6: If you must take a photo of your creation, do it quickly, would you? That icecream turns to mush pretty quickly...mine was just starting to slide...

Tip 7: If you ask your husband whether you have any mint in the garden and he says yes, just go check that, would you? We had 7 leaves and I used all of them.

Tip 8: If you get the icecream out of the deep freeze and leave it to soften on the bench for a bit, don't leave the kitchen. Please just don't do that.

Tip 9: If you endeavour to get the softened (melted around the edges) icecream out of the container, just watch your own strength with the icecream scooper. And watch the suction of the melted with the still frozen icecream. Lots of potential for icecream flicking and icecream dropping all over the floor. If the flicking/dropping potential is realised, you'll be wiping the stuff up for at least 15 mins when you're already pushed for time.

Tip 10: If you are making anything with icecream in the middle of summer make sure there's room in your upstairs freezer to throw stuff in at a moment's notice in case the flicking/dropping potential is realised.

Tip 11, just for good measure: Enjoy the dessert, we did!