Recipes...OK so many of you have asked...it seems mean not too. I'm only hesitant because I bake in my idiosyncratic Aga and can't be precise about what cooking time you'll need in your oven. I have given some times and temperatures but you'll need to check them out.
I always use oz's because a level tablespoon of sugar is an ounce and a heaped tablespoon of flour is an ounce which often saves finding the scales at the back of the cupboard.
Nutty Christmas biscuits
These easy delicious biscuits look like christmas decorations.
6oz soft butter
10 oz plain flour
7 oz sugar
pinch of salt
7 oz chopped mixed nuts
icing sugar to dust
crumble butter, sugar and flour and mix in nuts. Squish into a big ball then pick off chunks to squish into little balls.
Bake in moderate to hot oven until slightly brown. When cool toss in a bag with icing sugar.
Just one word of warning beware guests with nut allergies!
From 'All year round' by Dutt et al. A lovely book of traditional seastonal foods and crafts.
Flapjacks
1 250 g/8oz pack of butter
100 g or 4 oz wholemeal meal self raising flour
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
10 oz brown sugar
475g of oats (a mixture of types is nice).
100g of mixed seeds (sesame, sunflower, linseed etc)
Melt butter, syrup, sugar in a saucepan. Add dry ingredients mix, then spread out on a flattish baking tray (roughly 8 by 10 inches) and cook for 20-25 minutes at 200c.
You can leave the seeds out, if you do you will need 1 oz less sugar.
Easy Chocolate brownies
These are not the lushest brownies…for those you need lots of real chocolate. But as long as you’ve got good quality cocoa powder (that’s key) you’ll get good brownies from this recipe with the added advantage that you’ll probably be able whisk these from your cupboard at a moment’s notice.
11oz butter
11oz sugar (any kind)
3 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder
8oz SR flour (or plain with 4 tsps of baking powder)
3 eggs.
Optional nuts - hazelnuts or walnuts chopped
Cream butter and sugar, add flour,eggs and chocolate. Remember no beating of the mixture once the eggs are in!
Spoon into tray 8’ X 12’.
In the aga I cook these for 15 mins in the top oven (275 C) and 10 minutes in the bottom oven (150 C) .
The cake should look a bit uncooked in the middle for that lovely squidgy brownie texture.
For a birthday treat – pile up on a plate and pour chocolate sauce over the top and stick in candles.
