Christmas Gift Guide 2019

Christmas Gift Guide 2019

In this issue: •

Getting Ready for the Big Day

•

The Best STEM Toys around

•

Gift Ideas for kids and grown-ups

Welcome to the MumsDelivery Christmas Gift Guide 2019 Hello from Silvia, Mark and our three kids! How exciting— this is our first Christmas as MumsDelivery new owners. What a difference a year makes! About a year ago, Mark was leaving his full-time academic position to jump into running a web-based business full time from home. Silvia has kept her part-time job and is now working with Mark in the family business a couple of days a week. Having Dad at home full time has been great for our three kids and has made the juggling a lot easier.

Like most Australian families, we are busy people and Christmas season often adds that extra level of busy-ness in our lives. With this Christmas Guide, we hope to provide a useful resource for parents that minimises the stress of Christmas preparations by giving you some useful tips and ideas—including gifts ideas. At the end of the day, focusing on the joy of spending time with loved one is the most important thing.

Merry Christmas from our Family to Yours!

Disclaimer: We make a small commission from affiliate links within some articles. The price to you remains the same. At times, we may receive compensation for sponsored advertising.

Table of Contents Getting Ready

STEM Toys For Little Ones For the Not So Little Getting Outdoors For Grown-Ups

Christmas Recipes

Ho Ho Ho

Getting Ready

Naughty or Nice One of the first things I do when trying to get ideas for my kids’ presents is to get them to write a “Letter to Santa” When they were little we did the whole thing of writing and going around the block to put it in the letterbox. The mystery of that letter going all the way to North Pole seemed to fascinate them. “Mum, how long is the letter going to take to get there?”. “Dad, what if Santa doesn’t get it in time?. A few days later, “Do you think the letter has arrived?”. The endless repetitive questions were, at times, exhausting, but now that our oldest ones don’t quite believe in it anymore, we miss the game. Said that, all our kids (including the more sceptical) still go with the flow and do their letter. They are clever and they know they are more likely to get what they want if they write the letter. Not to mention, avoiding the guessing game makes life much easier for us, although we try to throw in a surprise present.

Often Christmas is all about snow and winter and the North Pole. That’s why these Biome decorations are so cool. Add a little touch of Down Under vibe to your Christmas Tree with the Earth Greetings Mini Decoration Set ($24.95). They are laser cut made from sustainable, biodegradable bamboo. Shapes include Cheeky Cockatoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Flying Fox and Emu. Other sets and shapes are available from Biome.

How cute is this hand-painted glass Christmas Bauble ($29.95) from 888Designs, available from their Etsy Store. Perfect for your own tree or as present. The gist box is just as cute and saves you the stress of wrapping! And it gets even better, with FREE shipping Australia-wide.

Download your FREE “Letter to Santa” PDF template here!

Christmas means celebration and celebrations call for a cheeky drink to be shared with family and friends. The Wine Collective has a great range of wines for all budgets. We particularly like to check their “Wines of the Week” and “Deal of the Week”. They work directly with winemakers and are able to often wines that aren’t easily available via mainstream bottle shops.

Owl be home for Christmas, geddit? Punny I know, but seriously owl has all his presents wrapped and is heading home in a pretty Christmassy kombi van. Spread your festive cheer to friends and family with this sweet and square Christmas card, which is blank so you can write your own little message. The card also features original illustrations and typography. $5.00 Available from WordFindersClub’s Etsy Shop

Stress– Free Christmas? Is it possible?

Let’s face it, once you have kids, Christmas becomes an all-about-the-kids affair! It is fun, but it is hard work too – no wonder it is often referred to as ‘the silly season’! It is no surprise that we get to the end of it absolutely completely exhausted—physically and mentally. Here are my top 4 main sources of stress— they are all connected, and what I have done to keep my Christmas stress-free: 1 2 3 4

Money Time Over indulgence Physical Exhaustion

Christmas is expensive! It is really important to keep it realistic and not go over budget. That means saying no to unreasonable expectations, but also using this opportunity to have the ‘money talk’. Mum ‘Can I get a new phone? Hmmm, no’. By the way, do know money does not grow on trees? A new phone means we would have no money to go on holidays?’

Secret Santa is great way to save money on presents for the fam. With my side of the family we do one round for adults only and one round for kids only. With my husband’s side of the family, we decided to just do presents for kids. Both work fantastic! We save money and time by limiting the number of people we give presents to. If you have never done Secret Santa, google can come to the rescue. There are entire websites that can organise a draw for you, once you provide names of participants.

I love online shopping! It allows you to easily compare prices and saves me the trip to the local shopping centre. The downside is that you need to pay attention to delivery times. For those, who prefer going to a retail store, doing a little bit of homework online is a great to narrow down the options for a more cost-effective shopping adventure. I always get my kids to comply a wish-list (see our template below!) as coming up with ideas for presents is often more time consuming than shopping for them.

To avoid last minute surprises, I always have some spare presents. Normally something very simple and universal that can’t go wrong with anyone. Chocolate or shortbread are great spare presents for that friend or colleague who has unexpectedly given you a present and you feel too embarrassed not to give back. Said that, I like to set boundaries and often I simply do not ‘return’ gifts.

Needless to say that Christmas is a time to eat and drink! I certainly like a cheeky glass of bubbles and find it hard to resist all the yummy treats out there. But the body has its limits! I have no magic answer to this, apart from trying to remind myself to slow down, indulge in moderation, sleep and drink— plenty of water, that is!!!

I will work hard to put a nice party up or to contribute towards one, but within my limits. I decided that Christmas is about spending time with people you love not with people you feel you have an obligation to impress! Relax and Enjoy the Party! A Stress-Free Christmas is definitely possible!

STEM Toys

MumsDelivery has a complete guide to the best STEM toys available in Australiaclick here to see our top choices for any age group!

Not sure what STEM toys are? Read on…

What Are STEM Toys and What are the Benefits?

Article courtesy of www.stemtoyexpert.com There’s a good chance you’ve already encountered STEM toys quite a bit in your life. So, what exactly are they? Simply put, a STEM toy is any toy that contributes to the learning and development of Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Math skills.

STEM toys are fantastic for reinforcing learning at home or in the classroom and are great fun for both kids and adults alike. Ranging from building your own robots and learning to program, to constructing towers, vehicles and contraptions, to erupting volcanoes and looking down the microscope, there is something for everyone and for every age group—yes, babies included!

We all know how important it is to keep active and engage in sports, however, even the most sporty families will still spend a large amount of time inside their homes. One of the biggest challenges currently faced by parents is to keep kids away from TVs, tablets and video consoles.

STEM toys are a great way of keeping our kids engaged and away from devices, whilst at home.

There are tons of other benefits of STEM toys which include development of: • Lateral thinking • Problem solving skills • Teamwork & Creativity • Hand-eye coordination & other motor skills • Cognitive function

STEM skills are also essential building blocks for success in the modern world. In an era when traditional jobs are being replaced by automation and robotics, STEM jobs are set to keep growing. In order to remain employable in this rapidly changing world, it’s critical that we develop skills in our kids today to better prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow.

STEM Toys for Girls— STEM professions have been traditionally dominated by males and when you consider that on average STEM jobs earn a lot more than others, it certainly helps to partly understand gender pay gaps. But things are changing—YAY! Research has shown time and time again that there is no difference in science and math ability of boys and girls, so aptitude arguments cannot be used to explain the shortfall. In contrast, we now know gender stereotyping to be one of the major causes, with studies showing the beliefs about what subjects are for what genders can be formed as early as 6 years old!

These ideas then go on to influence everything from basic interests to career choices. So the age old notion that girls should only play with dolls & kitchen sets and boys with building blocks is not only outdated, but harmful to child development. We think that changing this paradigm is essential to help break gender stereotypes and ensure girls don’t feel intimidated and have equal opportunities to pursue STEM. That aside, STEM toys for girls can also help develop valuable skills like coding, engineering and design through interactive challenges. What’s not to love? For more information, check https://www.stemtoyexpert.com/category/girls/ STEM Toy Expert is a one-stop specialist website to learn more and choose the most suitable STEM toys for kids! Their website offers numerous articles and comprehensive product reviews for a large number of toys for all age groups and budgets (including adults!)

The Lullaby Sheep Cot Light plays lullabies and soothing responses that calm your little one and send them off to a peaceful sleep.

With a built-in sound sensor, it responds automatically when baby cries. Reponses include three sing-along lullabies, 40 calming melodies, relaxing nature sounds and soothing shushing sounds.

Choose between the two modes to play either music or sounds.

The cot light features a 10, 20, and 30- minute timer, volume and light controls that operate the night light and the rotating light pattern projected onto the ceiling. Have the Lullaby Sheep Cot Light as your little one’s sleep buddy. The Lullaby Sheep Cot Light is suitable for babies from birth, and available now from Target, good toy stores and online retailers.

We swear by swaddling, rooting for this age-old tradition of wrapping newborns to help them feel calm and secure as though cocooned in their mother's womb. Made from 100% bamboo viscose, this One Eco Step baby wrap is breathable and perfect for summer swaddling.

Available in 3 different prints — snow leopard (pictured), space and feathers — and plain white. RRP: $15.95 They are currently on Christmas special starting from $9.60.

Available from: https://oneecostep.com.au/

Get up and move with the musical Learn & Groove Dancing Panda.

Watch Panda shake, dance and spin around to the music. The LED screen on his guitar lights up with shapes, letters and numbers in four play modes. Play Freeze Dance and other games to explore the learning content. Press the musical instrument buttons on Panda’s light-up shoes to hear a saxophone, trumpet, drum and guitar. Toggle the bridge switch to scroll through numbers 1-10 and letters A-Z, while the whammy-bar music button on Panda’s guitar selects dozens of different tunes, including songs about numbers, shapes, letters and musical instruments. For toddlers aged 1-4 years, the Learn & Groove Dancing Panda is available from October at Big W, good toy stores and online Wobbly surprises await with the Crazy Legs Learning Bug interactive pull toy. Children can sort and pop shapes as they sit on the floor or use the storable cord to pull it when they start to walk. This adorable bug has four easygrasp, colourful shape blocks for sorting. Place them in the matching slots on Mummy ladybug's back to learn about shapes, colours, numbers and nature objects. Press down on the baby ladybug on Mummy Bug’s back to pop blocks out after they are sorted. Hear playful music and sounds when you press the light-up buttons on the bug’s back. In Learning mode children hear about nature, shapes and colours, with more than 35 sounds and phrases. In Music mode, listen to over 25 songs and melodies such as Flight of the Bumble Bee and Old MacDonald. Give little nature lovers a leg up on learning. The Crazy Legs Learning Bug is suitable for toddlers from 12 to 36 months, and available now at Kmart, good toy stores and online retailers.

Jump, jump, jump! Introducing the very Australian Hop-a-Roo Kangaroo – a fun and interactive learning toy. This adorable, soft, cuddly, motorised kangaroo and her joey hop forward and encourages little ones to move with them. Press the light-up heart button to hear Mummy Kangaroo’s nurturing responses, all with an Australian accent! Also press the activity buttons to hear sing-along songs, melodies and more phrases between Mummy and Joey that introduce key learning concepts such as colours and counting. Different textures on this bouncy kangaroo’s body also encourage sensory development and provide tactile stimulation. The pouch allows you to take the cute plush joey in and out encouraging nurturing play between Mummy and Joey. The Hop-A-Roo Kangaroo is suitable for toddlers from 1-4 years, and available from Big W, good toy stores and online retailers.

Sing your heart out with the Safari Sounds Karaoke. This karaoke machine for toddlers and pre-schoolers includes 30 classic singalong songs and melodies that children love. Little karaoke stars can sing into the real microphone and get silly with voicechanging effects. Singalong songs include classic children’s tunes like “Wheels on the Bus” and songs that introduce letters, numbers and animals: “The Alphabet Song,” “This Old Man” and “Hey Diddle, Diddle”. Light-up buttons and adorable animal animations add to the performance. This musical toy also has interactive adventure and music games that children can play by blowing into the microphone to make bubbles, help the lion catch music notes and more. It’s time to rock and roar! The Safari Sounds Karaoke is suitable for children from 2 years, and available from Big W, good toy stores and online retailers.

Which child doesn’t like a good story? Now, imagine they can choose the names and looks of the characters to personalise their storybook. Story Antics Personalised Childrens Storybooks offers personalised fun, quirky storybooks for children. Choose your story, the name and look of each character to get sent a beautiful printed book. Ages 06 years.

Available from http://www.storyantics.com/ Free shipping with code MUMSDELIVERY

The quintessential Mocka wooden balance bike, the Urban Bike ($69.95), makes a fabulous Christmas gift. As expected from Mocka, this bike's sturdy and practical constructions means that it will last and last. The adjustable seat means that the bike can grow as your little one does.

Puncture resistant big tread tyres with solid tubes means no more punctures! A contoured, padded seat makes for a comfortable ride. Because of the-oh-so cool wheel disks it's best that the Urban Bike is stored indoors when not ridden. Suitable from 2 years of age.

Get your Urban bike delivered in time for Christmas, from Mocka online.

Safely attached to your household fridge door, the interactive Tad's Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set introduces your child to the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make, helps build vocabulary, and exercises fine motor skills.

Push a letter tile into the letter slot to hear its name and sound. Magnetic letter tiles help children learn the shape of each letter. Choose from three levels of play to reinforce letter names, phonics and word skills. All this can happen while you’re busy in the kitchen – learning fun while Mum and Dad get things done! For pre-schoolers aged 2-4 years, the Tad’s Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter. Set is available now at Target, good toy stores and online retailers.

These Wooden Counting and Tracing Tiles number from 0-9 and are a fabulous learning resource that support young children in their number writing, fine motor development, hand eye coordination as well as their mathematical knowledge. Wooden marbles, crystals or felt balls, or dried beans are perfect for this set.

Available from https://sticksandstoneseducation.com.au/ Perfect for any pint-sized entrepreneur, the Lemonade Stand ($ 99.95) by Mocka will provide kids hours of fun. A fantastic imaginative learning tool, any child will love to play shop in this iconic symbol of childhood.

This stand is more than just a toy, it is also a great way for children to develop social skills and coordination while encouraging them to use their imagination. Suitable for use both inside and out, this stand is easy to assemble with a sturdy plastic frame and durable cotton canvas body. Designed to last and withstand the rough and tumble of everyday play, this stall will have kids building their lemonade empire in no time.

Get your Lemonade Stand delivered in time for Christmas, from Mocka online.

IS COMING!!!!

The Discovery Remote Control Triceratops Action Dinosaur ($39.95) is so cool! Have fun with the RC Triceratops, a dinosaur you can control!

It comes with hard pebbled skin textures, lifelike facial features, glowing eyes, and articulated legs/arms to move across the floor. A wireless LED infrared remote control activates the RC dinosaur awesome abilities and you can even set it to auto performance mode to have it roam freely! https://www.babyvegas.com.au/product/discovery-remote-control-triceratops-action-dinosaur/

RockIt Twist takes a new twist on handheld gaming; where how children play is as important as what they play! Reinventing educational gaming for children ages 4 to 10, this new system features light-up controls and 360 degrees of buttons, spinners, sliders and switches which all trigger different moves, providing a unique gameplay experience with a twist! RockIt Twist comes with multiple games, digital pets and music to help children learn while they play. Twelve preloaded games, across five game play categories, help children learn a variety of skills including literacy, maths, problem solving, science and creativity. Children can even play with three adorable digital pets and nurture them to grow. While a single-player game system, the RockIt Twist can host up to three profiles, so siblings or friends can share. And with no need for Wi-Fi, children can play anywhere, and listen to their own music with the built-in MP3 player. Volume controls and a headphone jack are also included. For even more game play fun, additional RockIt Twist game packs are sold separately (for RRP $14.95 each) and come in cool themes such as baking, animals and dinosaurs. Each also comes with both a digital pet to nurture and matching RockIt Pet figurine. For children aged 410 years, the RockIt Twist, RRP $89.95, is available from Big W, Target, good toy stores and online retailers.

Explore the secrets of the Mystery Manor in the RockIt Twist ‘Penelope Penguin: Pet Detective’ game pack. Find clues, identify the culprit and solve the case using the light-up controls on the four-sided RockIt Twist system (sold separately). The Pet Detective games focus on vocabulary, spelling and opposites. It also includes Barkham, a virtual RockIt Pet dog and matching figurine, that you can grow and play games with like fetch. Ages 8-10 years

Dig into the pre-historic world with the RockIt Twist ‘Dinosaur Discoveries’ game pack. Find fossils, take photos on a dino safari or play a dino running game using the light-up controls on the four-sided RockIt Twist system (sold separately). Dinosaur Discoveries games focus on measuring and charts. The game pack also includes Sprout, a virtual RockIt Pet dinosaur and matching figurine, that you can grow and play games with including ping-pong. Ages 410 years Start your engines with the Turbo Force Racers! Shake your wrist when wearing the remote-control wristband to charge up the vehicle for a Turbo Boost. Once ready to race, play in three modes: Manual Drive, Robot Control, and Responses. The buttons on the Turbo Station trigger the turbo boost for fun play and interactive responses.

The assortment is available in blue, red, green and yellow. Pick your fave racing colour and you’re off and racing! The Turbo Force Racers are suitable for children 4-10 years, and available from September from Big W, good toy stores and online retailers.

Tip of the Tongue— In this tongue-tied game of 2-second trivia, players take turns answering quick-recall questions and receive a point for each correct answer. The questions aren’t hard, but can you spit them out in 2-seconds flat? Over 1000 trivia questions included in this easy-to-learn, fast-paced party game. Tip of the Tongue is available at Sanity, Kidstuff and all good toy retailers. Ages 12+ For more information visit www.ugames.com.au Sort it Out—Who knows the biggest, fastest, loudest, smallest, longest everything? Sort It Out™ is a fast-paced game of measurement where knowing just a little bit about something can help you win it all. A challenging yet accessible game where players reason through relative sizes. Not your average trivia game — guessing is half the fun!

Sort It Out is available at Sanity, Kidstuff and all good toy retailers. Ages 12 + For more information visit www.ugames.com.au

Getting Outdoors

Wahu Surfer Dudes (RRP $24.99) are the world’s first self-righting, selfsurfing toy! Toss your dudes into the surf.. They''ll catch and shred the waves, throwing down rippin' tricks all the way back to you! Surfer Dudes feature an internal ballast system, hydro-boomerang technology and unsinkable foam board with gnarly graphics! There are 12 Surfer Dudes to collect including 6 NEW characters: Sunny Coast Sammy, Margaret River Maddy, Bells Beach Bethany, Manly Matt, Burleigh Heads Brad and Byron Bay Blake! Ages: 6+

With Wahu Sink N Score (RRP $29.99) the game of darts has taken to a new level‌ below sea-level! It's a game of darts you can play in the pool! Drop the darts and then dive down to see how you scored. With funky bright colours, everyone will want to play. Includes the dark mat, six dive darts and a handy carry bag for storage. For Ages 6+ RRP $29.99

Put your memory and swimming skills to the test, with the Wahu Memory Dive (RRP $19.99)! It's a fun and creative way to your brain and improve your skimming skills at the same time! Take turns placing the balls (each numbered with a score) inside the memory sticks and throwing them into the pool. Watch them sink to the bottom. Once they have sunk, dive down and retrieve each stick. Try to remember which ball went into each stick! The player who scores the most points wins! Set includes 4 sticks and 4 balls. For Ages 6+

Mocka’s Box Cart ($139.95) is a traditional push style go kart that will have your child off and racing. Let your child and their siblings or friends burn up lots of energy as they push each other around the house or park. Great for developing gross motor skills, the Mocka Box Cart features four solid pneumatic, puncture-resistant rubber tyres, a padded seat and back rest, a traditional rope handle and a steel hand brake.

Check their range of kids toys and furniture at: Mocka Australia

How cool is Ecococoon?

Ecococoon has an exciting range of stainless steel products that are perfect for the outdoor, like this 500 ml Bottle Messenger + Seven Chalk Pen Bundle ($54.95). How cool is it have your kids’ artwork and name on their drink bottle? Better still, MumsDelivery readers can get 10% off purchases with code MUMSDELIVERY at: ecococoon.com.au/discount/MUMSDELIVERY

The Nerf Elite Titan CS-50 Blaster is the MONSTER of all blasters! This colossal blaster is fully motorised for rapid-fire dart-blasting and boasts a 50-dart drum to unleash a storm on your targets. Powered by batteries, flick on the motor and pull the trigger to pepper the playing field with a deluge of darts. The barrel spins as the blaster unleashes its darts to send opponents running for cover Suitable for ages 8 and up. RRP: $139.99.

Available from: Hasbro online

The Trilogy DS-15 Nerf N-Strike Elite Blaster is great fun.

This pump-action blaster has ejecting shells to heat up your Nerf dart-blasting action! When you prime to fire, the spent shell automatically ejects from the blaster. The blaster features 5 shells and 15 darts and is completely powered your own adrenaline-fueled strength - no battery required. Suitable for ages eight and up. Suitable for ages 8 and up. RRP: $54.99 Available from: Hasbro online

Make the NERF N-Strike Delta Trooper your own and eliminate the competition using the attachable stock and barrel extension. This state of the art feature allows you to rapidly unleash a dozen darts in a row before it’s time to reload - this the most precise way to hit your target once and for all. The Delta Trooper blaster comes with a 12-dart clip and 12 Elite darts, that allow you to fire a dart up to 27 meters away. Suitable for ages 8 and up. RRP: $49.99 Available from: Hasbro online

InvisibleShield Glass + VisionGuard is an innovative screen protector with Eyesafe technology that not only protects your phone from scratches and impacts, but also filters harmful blue light from your device screen. RRP: AUD $49.95 Available from: InvisibleShield.com and top electronics retailers across Australia and New Zealand.

mophie powerstation is a compact universal battery with a shared USB-C input and output port that provides up to 36 hours of total device use time, available in Black, Gray and Navy. Very useful for busy people who are always on the go and need their phones charged. RRP: AUD $69.95 Available from: mophie.com and top electronics retailers across Australia and New Zealand.

Razor’s E300 Electric Scooter is an affordable electric scooter option for teen and adult riders up to 100 kg. The 250-watt motor can propel the scooter at speeds up to 24 km/h. Check local laws and regulations to see where and how you can use a Razor Electric Scooter.

RRP: AUD $499 Available online from: Razor Australia

Redbubble is the perfect match between independent art and product. With more than 700,000 artists on board, there are endless design options that can be printed on t-shirts, dresses, cushions, phone cases, mugs, cards and many more. You know someone crazy about sloths, they’ve got you covered. If you have a sci-fi geek in your life, sci-fi themed quirky t-shirts or mugs make a great gift. Products can suit a variety of budgets. From laptop stickers (approx. $3) to t-shirts (starting approx. $24) and jumpers (starting approx. $62).

Check out redbubble.com

The Inflatable Ottoman ($49.95) by Mocka is a multi-purpose piece of home furniture. Ideal as an extra seat, footrest or side table, it is also perfect to dress up a room, and provide a stool to put your feet up in style or as additional seating when entertaining friends. Whether starting your day with a coffee or ending it with a glass of red, you’ll be able to enjoy this ottoman both indoors and outdoors. Available in three different patterns: Monochrome (pictured), Jungle and Bohemian.

Buy online at Mocka Australia.

Almond, Coconut and Cacao Spread Rocky Road Chocolate Ingredients •3/4 cup runny coconut oil •3/4 cup raw cacao powder •3/4 cup pure maple syrup

Rocky Road Ingredients 1/2 cup Mayvers Almond, Coconut & Cacao Spread •1/4 cup raw hazelnuts •1/4 cup raw almonds •1/4 cup raw pistachios •1/4 cup goji berries •1/4 cup glacé cherries •1/4 cup sulphur free dried apricots •1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes •1 pinch Himalayan sea salt Method 1.Make chocolate sauce by whisking chocolate ingredients in a saucepan over very low heat until combined.

2.Line a square baking tin with baking paper and grease with coconut oil. Mix all ingredients, but not the salt. Place in the tin and level out by banging the tin on your kitchen bench a couple of times. Mixture should be roughly mixed with gooey clumps of almond butter throughout.

3.Scatter a few extra ingredients over the top of the rocky road for decoration and colour, and a sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt. Place in the freezer to harden for at least an hour or overnight.

4.Remove from the freezer and carefully remove from the tin and slice with a hot sharp knife into square portions. Keeps in the fridge. Serves 16.

Thanks to @wholeveganpantry for this amazing recipe

Coconut & Lemon Shortbread Stars Ingredients Shortbread: 250g butter, diced and softened to room temperature ¾ cup icing sugar 1 ¾ cup plain flour ⅓ cup McKenzie’s Fine Desiccated Coconut ¼ cup McKenzie’s Rice Flour 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind Icing: 1 ½ cups icing sugar, sifted 1 tbsp water 10g butter, melted ¼ tsp lemon rind McKenzie’s Desiccated and Shredded Coconut, for serving Method: For shortbread; place butter and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until creamy and pale. Fold in the flour, coconut, rice flour and lemon rind. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and bring together. Form into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Pre-heat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Line oven trays with baking paper. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thickness. Using star shaped cutters, cut stars and place onto prepared trays. Bake for 20 minutes or until just starting to turn golden. Allow to cool on trays, before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to ice.

For the icing; combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix until smooth. Allow to sit for several minutes to come to desired consistency if required. Spread over shortbread stars and sprinkle with coconut. Store in an airtight container. Makes approx. 25.

Recipe provided by McKenzies Tip: These biscuits make great Christmas presents when combined with nice packaging!

And It’s a Wrap!

From Our Family to Yours, Merry Christmas!

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