The Ultimate Party Box

In a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. Add the butter, icing sugar and beat for a minute on medium speed.

Add and beat the egg yolks. Sift the flour and baking powder

Mix on medium speed for a minute or two or until all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

Divide the cookie into two portions.

Take a portion of the base cookie recipe, add 2 tsp of gingerbread spices. Mix the spices very sparingly with a spatula so that it gives you a spice swirl in the cookie dough. Don't overmix the dough.

Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes, meanwhile mix the 1 tsp of gingerbread spices with the raw sugar/ golden sugar.

Take the chilled dough, using a cookie scoop, scoop out 10 cookies. Roll them into little balls in between your palms. Roll these cookie doughs balls in the sugar and spice mix.

Using a measuring spoon- teaspoon, make a little dent in the middle of the dough. Chill these again for 15-30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle some more of the sugar and spice mix. Add dollops of jam in the middle of the cookie and bake for another 5-7 minutes.

Remove from oven and let them cool on a cooling rack. These can be stored for about a week in an airtight container once the cookies are completely cooled. They also stay very fresh in the freezer.

Take the other portion of the base cookie recipe, in the stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the kahlua and mix for a few seconds. Sift in the black cocoa powder and mix until its fully incorporated into the dough.

Chill the dough for 15-20 minutes before you roll it out.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.

Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Using a shortbread cookie cutter (link above) cut out the cookies and the inserts using a mini cookie cutter.

Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, once the cookies are baked. Remove from the oven and let it come to room temperature.

You can freeze these until you are ready to use (they stay fresh for 2-3 weeks in the freezer)

If you are making them right away, fill a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle piping tip with speculoos cookie butter. You can use lotus biscoff or any other cookie butter.

Sandwich the cookie butter between 2 cookies and add these delights to your cookie box / party box!

Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!!

Wipe the bowl, whisk and spatula that you will be using for this recipe with either vinegar or lemon juice.

Preheat the oven t0 250°F / 120°C. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar or lemon juice or vinegar into the eggs.

Whisk the egg whites on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until soft peaks are formed.

Gradually keep adding the sugar while the egg whites are getting getting whisked. Whisk on high speed for 6-7 minutes or until stiff peaks are formed.

On a baking sheet with parchment, add dollops of whipped egg whites using a spatula. Add a little bit of of dulche de leche on each meringue and give it a swirl using a skewer or a knife.

Bake for about 25- 30 mins. Leave them in the oven until its cool.

Add them to your ultimate party box!

Add all the ingredients in a pan, simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved.

Once its cooled, strain and pour into clean, sterilised and dry bottles.

Cut up the mandarins and add all the ingredients in a pan. Cook on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is cooked.

Once its cooled, strain and pour into clean, sterilised and dry bottles.