crinkles

These biscuits are from Still Life with Menu, ( Mollie Katzen, Ten Speed Press 1988) one of my favourite and most influential cookbooks. I've only made them once before and they are sensational. Don't be put off by the presence of molasses, it really works in these and is offset by the other sugar and spices. G suggested they needed ginger which I forgot and will definitely be adding next time. Please use the two different types of sugar, it does make a difference.

Ingredients

125 butter
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teasponn cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups white self-raising flour
1 to 2 tablespoons additional white sugar

To make

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Line two biscuit trays with baking paper (I re-use mine because I'm cheap).
2. Melt the butter.  Add molasses, which may need a quick zap in the microwave to flow well enough for measuring. Beat the egg and add to cooled butter and molasses mixture.
3. Mix dry ingredients (except white sugar). Add the wet ingredients and mix. Use your hands to bring together into a soft dough.
4. Roll pieces of dough into small truffle sized balls. Dip in white sugar. Place on baking tray. Squash before baking (Grace loved doing this).
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they puff up and fall down. Bake until darkish brown if you like a crisp biscuit. A beigey colur of you like a soft centre. I did some of each which is pretty unavoidable in our oven anyway.
6. Cool on a teatowel. Eat with soothing cups of tea.

Muesli Slice

While I was on holidays, during Grace's nap, I sometimes felt like baking. Nice, well equiped kitchen looking over the treetops, an electric fan forced oven (unlike the antique caravan sized oven with unreliable temperature control we have at home in the pokey kitchen) and nothing much else to do might have had something to do with it. As would have the appetitie sharpened by the sea air and the general holiday disregard for any concept of dieting. Which leads me to the next point, I don't think this could be classified as a heathy food although it does contain some healthy ingredients. Made all the tastier with ample amounts of sugar and butter.

The recipe is roughly based on a recipe for Anzac biscuits I found in an old Women's Weekly cookbook. With the addition of muesli, an egg and a little more water. I've made this slice with golden syrup, honey and molasses and they're all good. Any brand of untoasted muesli with the bran turds in it will do, although personally I prefer one without the cursed dried paw-paw found in so many modern mueslis. Apricots are good though. Don't press it into the tin too hard and don't add too much water. As both seem to affect the texture. Although each time I've made it, it's been very edible. Indeed, I think we might be making this quite alot.

You need

• 3 cups of untoasted muesli
• 1 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• a dash of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of golden syrup, honey or molasses
• 100 g butter
• 1-3 tablespoons of water
• 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda
• 1 egg
• 1 lemon
• icing sugar

To Make

• Mix muesli, brown sugar, coconut, self-raising flour and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
• Melt the butter and the syrup together. Either in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
• Mix bi-carb soda with one tablespoon of water and add to warm butter and sugar. It will froth up quite a lot.
• Add the frothy mix to the dry ingredients and stir well.
• Beat the egg with just a little water and mix in well.
• Stir. The mix should be fairly stiff but add a little more water if everything won't combine.
• Spread in tin lined with baking paper or greased. It needs to be fairly thin, say about two centimetres, but don't pack it as the mix will spread. A few gaps are fine.
• Bake at 180C (a little less if fan forced) until a bit puffy and golden brown.

To Ice

Squeeze a lemon. Add enough icing sugar to make a thin icing. It will seem like it isn't enough, but it is. Spread very thinly over the slice. When the icing has set hard, cut into squares. This is where the baking paper comes into it's own because then it can just be lifted onto a chopping board and cut with a big knife.This slice is a whole lot nicer than the ingredients would suggest.