Chocolate Snowflake Stars

Can you imagine Christmas without snowflakes. And now you can have snowflakes at your dinner table that too, if they are made of chocolates. This recipe will loved by both kids and adults.

Chocolate Snowflake Stars

Ingredients:

1) Dark chocolate - 200 g (7 oz.).
2) Butter - 225 g (8 oz.), softened.
3) Superfine sugar - 225 g (8 oz.).
4) Eggs - 3.
5) Salt - A pinch.
6) Flour - 500 g (1 1/2 oz.).

For the Royal Icing:
1) Icing Sugar - 500 g (1 1/2 oz.).
2) Egg whites (of 2 large eggs).
3) Lemon juice - 5 ml (1 tsp).

Also needed:
Rolling pin, baking tray, a star-shaped biscuit-cutter, icing bag and nozzle.

Instructions:

1) Melt the chocolate.

2) Combine the melted chocolate with the softened butter.

3) Pour sugar and eggs into another bowl and beat together.

4) Add salt and flour to the mixture and stir.

5) Transfer the mixture to a floured surface and knead lightly.

6) Spread out the mixture to a 5-6 mm thick layer.

7) Sift the icing sugar.

8) Beat the egg whites until just frothy. Combine with the sifted sugar and the lemon juice, beating constantly till the icing stands up in the peaks.

9) Fit the icing bag with the nozzle. Use it to pipe a star shape over the biscuits. Do not make the icing too runny or too firm or it will be impossible to make good, clean lines.

10) Make a snowflake by piping radiating lines from the simple star shape.

11) When the icing hardens, store the stars in an airtight can.