Birthday biscuits.

It was my birthday this week - one of those annoying great fat ones with a big "O" at the end of it.  Now it is traditional at work to take in goodies to share, so I made biscuits.  Most people go to a supermarket and buy those boxes of mini flapjacks, brownies etc.  This does not fit well with me so the biscuits I made were not only nicer than the bought treats but much cheaper too.  I have to admit that they cost me a bit more in time but when you add up the cost (in time and in diesel too) of going from the house to the nearest supermarket, picking up what you need, queuing at the checkout and coming home again, I'm not sure that there is much in it.

Since people at work are accustomed to those mini treats, I admit that I made those biscuits a bit on the small side so that I got more out of a batch and I did heat up the main oven because I only have one little baking tray that fits in the mini oven.  I made about 80 to take to school and 120 slightly bigger ones to take to church this morning and a few extra (mainly the misshapes) for us.  I also made myself a chocolate cake to have at home and another one to take to school to share with the group of friends that I had tea with at breaktime.  My husband asked me why I had to work so hard when it was my birthday and I haven't come up with an answer to that yet...

However, since I have been sharing biscuits with all and sundry, I thought I would share the recipe with you so you can have a biscuit too. It is really easy but tastes really good.  I've done some of them with a teaspoon of ground ginger and some finely chopped crystallised ginger in them (courtesy of Approved Food last year) and those in particular were absolutely wonderful. I'll definitely be doing them with ginger again.


Mary Berry's Fork Biscuits

100g (4ozs) butter, softened (I used Clover since that was what I had)
50g (2 ozs) caster sugar (I used granulated)
150g (5 ozs) selfraising flour

Preheat the oven to 180'C/fan 160'C/gas mark 4

Cream butter and then gradually beat in the sugar and then the flour.

Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough.

Form dough into about 16 balls the size of a walnut and place spaced well apart on a baking tray.

Dip a fork in water and use this to flatten the biscuits.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden.

Lift off the baking tray and leave to cool on a wire rack. 

When cold, store in an airtight container - if there are any left by then : )

Simples!  and very tasty - and very easy.  This would be a good one for children to do, too.