Choc-Chip Biscuits

Tom had a little friend over the other day and the two of them had great fun taking turns measuring, mixing and cracking the egg, then taking little spoonfuls of dough and rolling it. They made small balls and a couple of big balls and a few sausage shaped experiments which all worked really well as the big biscuits stayed deliciously chewy inside while the smaller ones were crisp! 

When they were cooked we took them down to the garden on a tray with some milk and cups and a few nice apples for a lovely Autumn picnic. 

1 egg, beaten

75g melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup dark choc chip melts (These are better than the ones that hold their shape in my opinion!)

whole pecans to decorate

Preheat your oven to 180•c

In a big bowl mix together the sugar, beaten egg and melted butter. Then sift in the flour and baking powder and mix together with the choc chips. Then take small spoonfuls of mixture and, roll into balls and place well spaced on baking paper lined trays. 

Pop them in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes. You can start the first batch while the second tray is still being rolled then swap the position of the trays in the oven if it needs browning up a bit more by putting it up higher for the last few minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and when completely cooled store them in an airtight container. 

Leandra's Gingerbread

Christmas to me is about homemade gifts, a tradition I'm sharing with my children. This year my good friend Leandra, who is a fabulous cook, shared her wonderful gingerbread recipe with me. Tom and I wrapped our gingerbread reindeer and men in cellophane tied with red ribbon for Tim's family who were coming to stay and even a week later they were still a delicious present!

125g unsalted butter at room temperature

0.5 cup brown sugar

0.5 cup golden syrup

1 egg yolk

2.5 cups plain flour

1 Tbs ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp bicarb soda

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Then add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat well. Sift in the flour, bicarb and spices and mix. Then knead on a floured surface until smooth, wrap in gladwrap and rest in the fridge for 30mins. Preheat your oven to 180•C. 

Roll out the mixture between two sheets of baking paper and use biscuit cutters to stamp out shapes and decorate with currants. (The mixture softens really quickly so you may find you need to pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to harden it again.) Bake for 10-12 mins and cool completely on wire racks.