Biscuits

Then a mammoth bake with Mum of biscuits. All tried and tested recipes from Mum (maybe even from Grandma Bateson!)

Ginger Biscuits

4 oz Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

2 oz Butter or Marg

1 Heaped Tablespoon Golden Syrup

1 Heaped Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 oz Sugar
1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice

Plus extra sugar for coating

Mix all dry together
Rub in marg
Work syrup in

Form into a long sausage approx 16-18" long and cut into 1" pieces.
This is a good way to get them all the same size.

Roll the pieces into balls. Flatten slightly.

Press the slightly flattened pieces into the sugar for coating, turn and do the other side too.

Bake 275 F, 140 C, Gas No 1 for 10 - 15 mins.

 

Almond Fork Biscuits

5oz Self Raising Flour

4oz Butter

2oz Soft Brown or Castor Sugar

Flavourings:  Lemon rind, orange rind, vanilla essence, almond essence or
replace 1oz of flour with 1oz cocoa

Beat butter and sugar together.

Add flavour of choice (I went for the almond essence and pushed a whole peeled almond into the top).

Add flour

Roll into a long sausage 16-18" long. Then cut into 1" pieces. Roll these into balls (they should be the size of a walnut). Pat down slightly and press a fork into them to flatten more. They spread a little during cooking and are very short and rather delicate after cooking.

Bake 350 F, Gas No.4, 170-180 C for 15 - 20 mins till they just turn golden.

Coconut Biscuits

8 oz Self Raising Flour

5 oz Butter
1 Egg
5 oz Sugar

4 oz Desiccated Coconut
Vanilla Essence

Soften buter
Beat in egg
Add rest of dry ingredient & knead together

Mix all together

Roll out to approx 3mm thick and cut with your choice of cutter (2 1/2" cutter = approx 40 biscuits)

Bake 325 F, 170 C, Gas No 3 for 10 - 15 mins until golden

All bagged up in these little cellophane bags, tied with raffia and labelled with the little black labels again

For my first appearance.....

What better way to start than with a toast!

Sew I started way back in October with Blackcurrant Vodka as it needed time to mature. Thanks to Mum for the blackcurrants from her garden. I think it was a bumper year this year with all the damp weather making them particularly plump.

Very simple really. 1 bottle Vodka, approx 9 oz sugar (depending on how sweet you like your liqueur) and1 lb  blackcurrants (or I also like to use damsons) in a big kilner jar, shaken (not stirred!) occasionally. Try to leave it for about 3 months. Strain and bottle.

Bottled in lots of great bottles I had hoarded for the occasion.

It is very yummy and I thankfully have some more blackcurrants in the freezer as I can see I'm going to have to make some more very soon!