Ingredients

4 oz SR flour

Pinch of salt

2 oz margarine

2 oz lard

Approx 1 tablespoon cold water

jam or lemon curd

How to make them

1.Grease the bun tins well. You will need 12.

2. Put the flour into a bowl with the salt.

3. Cut the fat into small pieces, add to the flour. Rub it in until it resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Add enough cold water to bind the flour and fat together until it forms a lump. Try not to let it get too   sticky, it’s best to just add a little water at a time. If you find it’s sticky, add a dusting of flour until it is easy to handle.

5. At this stage you have made the pastry. You can wrap it in a polythene bag or cling film and keep in the fridge for a few days if you wish.

6. Set the oven to 200C or 190C fan oven

7. Roll out the pastry as thin as possible and cut out 12 circles to line the bun tins.

8. Into each pastry case put one small teaspoonful of jam or lemon curd. Don’t be tempted to add more – the jam will become liquid in the oven and spread out to fill the case – too much will overflow and you will have a sticky mess! (Soak in the sink to clean up!)

9. Bake in the middle or top of the oven for about 15 minutes until the pastry is light brown.

10. Remove from oven and allow to set in tin before removing to cooling rack.

Tags: jam, lard, lemon curd, margarine, salt, self raising flour
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These are delicious, very crisp, and they keep very well in an airtight container (if you can leave them long enough!). Worth making a double quantity – then you won’t have half an egg left over! You could freeze half the dough for another batch later. (Make as far as step 3 and freeze the dough in a ball. Or you could go as far as rolling the biscuits in oats and then freeze them spread out on a tray. When they are frozen, put them in a bag and keep in the freezer. When you want to use them, just spread them out on a greased baking tray, allow to thaw for about 15 mins and bake. They will probably bake from frozen, but I haven’t tried it!

Ingredients

3 oz (75g) soft margarine

3 oz (75g) caster sugar

half a beaten egg

few drops of vanilla essence

1 oz (25g) porridge oats

4oz (100g) self raising flour

1/2  teaspoon baking powder

about 5 glace cherries, quartered

about 1/2 cup of porridge oats to roll the biscuits in  on a plate or flat dish

How to Make Them

Set the oven to 325F, 160C, gas mark 3, fan oven 150C.

1. Put margarine and sugar in a bowl and beat together until soft and creamy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat together to combine.

3. Add the oats, flour and baking powder. Mix until it sticks together like dough.

4  Pull off small lumps of dough about the size of a table tennis ball (about 1″ diameter). Roll into a ball between palms of hands, then roll in oats to coat.

5. Place on a greased baking tray and flatten gently with a fork.

6. Place a quarter cherry on top of each biscuit and press in slightly to secure.

7. Bake for about 15 – 20 miutes until pale golden brown.

8. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin.

Tags: caster sugar, egg, glace cherries, margarine, porridge oats, self raising flour, vanilla essence
Posted in Biscuits | 2 Comments »

Ingredients

4 oz margarine

4 oz sugar (brown or white)

12 oz mixed fruit (8 oz will be enough)

8 fl oz water

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 level teaspoon mixed spice

2 beaten eggs

4 oz plain flour

4 oz self raising flour

Pinch salt

How to Make it

1. Set the oven to 350F, 180 C, 170C (fan oven), Gas Mark 4
2. Put margarine, sugar, mixed fruit, water, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into a large pan. Bring to the boil, stirring as the ingredients melt to blend gently together.
3. Once boiling, simmer for one minute.
4. Allow to cool while you prepare the tin:
5. Line a 7″ square or 8″ round tin.
6. When mixture has cooled a little, add the eggs, flour and salt and mix well. If you add the eggs while the mixture is really hot you’ll have scrambled eggs! Pour the mixture into the tin.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 – 1 1/4 hours. Test with a skewer to see if it comes out clean.

Tags: bicarbonate of soda, egg, margarine, mixed fruit, mixed spice, plain flour, salt, self raising flour, sugar
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