55g / 2oz Cooking Margarine |
55g / 2oz refined fat such as Cookeen |
220g / 4oz of plain flour |
3 tablespoons of water |
Small amount of vegetable oil |
Decoration such as jam, Nutella, chocolate chips etc. |
It's best to take the cooking margarine and Cookeen out of the fridge half an hour before you start. This will soften them slightly. If you haven't done this then warm them slightly in a bowl in warm water for a few minutes - your kids can do this (see the video below).
Sprinkle the three tablespoons of water over the mixture and mix it in well with a fork for a minute or so. Now use your hands to gather the mixture into a ball shape - this is best explained by watching our video above.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and remove the cling film. Start pre-heating the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and roll out the pastry (turning it continuously) to about half to 1cm thick. Cut the pastry into smallish shapes.
Brush the baking tray with a little oil and carefully place the pastry shapes on the tray. Place in the oven and bake them until golden brown - about twenty minutes.
Decorate with whatever you have to hand. A jam or Nutella base over the shapes will allow silver or chocolate balls to stick to the pastry shapes.