Prep time: 5 minutes 

Cook time: 2 1/2 hrs 

Qty: 20-25 pieces 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour 
• 1/2 cup fine table salt 
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 2/3 cup cold water 

Decorating ingredients: 

• Natural string 
• Natural ribbon for bows 

• White paint 
• Kitchen sponge 
• Craft glue 
• Matt sealer spray 

Method: 

1. Pre heat the oven to 120C, fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper, set aside. 
   
2. Combine in a mixing bowl the flour and salt, stir to mix. 
   
3. Pour over the oil and roughly stir in with a wooden spoon. 
   
4. Add the cold water gradually while stirring, bring it together into a rough crumble then using clean hands form a round ball. 
   
5. On a clean dry bench roll out the dough to be 5mm thick. Using cooking cutters, cut out shapes. 
   
6. Use leaves, pasta cutters, cake decoration tools, a textured wool jumper or anything around the house and garden that can be pressed into the dough to make embossed patterns. 
   
7. Using a skewer make a hole in the top of each decoration and place on the baking tray. 
   
8. Place in the oven to bake for 2 1/2 hours.  
   
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. 
   
10. Once cooled lightly brush white paint on a kitchen sponge. Press each decoration into the sponge to coat the top embossed layer. Repeat the process of all the decorations, set aside too dry. 
    
11. Lightly spray all sides of each decorations with matt sealer spray. Set aside too dry. 
    
12. Finish by gluing on a natural ribbon bow with craft glue and tie a natural strong loop.

Recipe and photography by Bonnie Coumbe. See her site here & Instagram here.