RECIPE: COFFEE AND GINGER BISCUITS

Nothing much happened in the kitchen yesterday (Saturday) as it is a tradition that the kids have Maccas or Chinese takeaway.

I did however buy some books yesterday - they are not new titles but I have always wanted to read them and I finally found them in the book store near home. The books that I bought were 'Brick Lane' by Monica Ali (now a movie which I am going to watch), 'Anita and Me' by Meera Syal (She also wrote 'Life is not all ha, ha, hee, hee' which was a mini series on BBC) and 'Rice' by Su Tong. Tong also wrote 'Raise the red lantern' which was made into a movie with the so lovely Gong Li in the lead. I'll write about the books when I have finished them.

However, Sunday is baking day …..for stuff to go into the kids lunch boxes for the week. And Mr G does (mostly) the Sunday baking. As he made cornflake cookies last week, today he made Coffee and Ginger Cookies. Another big hit in the house and the dog goes mad (I am not kidding) when it comes out of the oven. When he gets his first bickie, he runs and finds a spot where no one can annoy him (usually under the coffee or dining table) to enjoy it. Well here is the recipe. I believe I got this from one of the Sunday newspaper magazines.



Coffee and Ginger Biscuits
Ingredients
80 g butter
2/3 cup castor sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp boiling water
1 ½ cup plain flour
Demerara sugar for coating

Method
Preheat oven to 180°c. Line baking tray with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, beat butter, sugar, and ginger until light and creamy. Add egg and beat well.

Place baking soda, golden syrup, coffee and water into a small bowl and stir until foamy. Add this mixture and flour to the butter mixture and beat until a smooth dough forms. Place dough in fridge for 30 mins.

After 30 mins, place 1 tbsp of dough, rolled into a ball on palm. Slightly flatten the ball, press into the Demerara sugar (top side only) and place onto tray, sugared side up and bake for 10 to 12 mins.

Makes around 35 to 40. We normally make twice the amount to last for a week.

Hint: if dough sticks to fingers, moisten with some water.