Get ready to spread some Christmas cheer with Herdy’s fun and festive cookies, inspired by everyone's favourite red-nosed reindeer. These buttery, jam-filled treats are super simple to make and add a festive twist to the classic ‘Dodger’. Gather your flock and create some cute Herdy smiles with red noses — perfect for sharing or gifting this Christmas!
Step 1: Get Mixing
In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Be gentle — overmixing can make the cookies spread too much when baking.
Step 2: Make the Dough
Beat the egg into the butter-sugar mixture. Sift in the flour, add vanilla extract, and mix until a dough forms. Knead lightly on a floured surface, then chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Roll and Cut
Preheat your oven to 200°C (Gas Mark 5). Roll out the chilled dough to about 6mm thick. Use the smaller Herdy cookie cutter to cut out your shapes. Re-roll scraps to avoid waste! (Tip: Flour Herdy’s smile to prevent sticking.)
Step 4: Create the Nose
For half of the cookies, use a 1.5cm circular cutter (or bottle lid) to cut out a nose just above Herdy’s smile. Add any excess dough back into the mix. Carefully transfer all cookies to a non-stick baking tray or silicone mat.
Step 5: Bake
Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Cool completely on a wire rack before moving to the next step.
Step 6: Add the Jam
Spread a generous teaspoon of strawberry jam onto each cookie without a nose cut-out. Make sure to get Herdy’s ears, too! Place a cookie with a nose cut-out on top, pressing gently. Pop them in the fridge to set the jam.
