Honey and Apple Cookies

This recipe can be used for Jewish New Year.  Usually you make a honey cake for a sweet New Year and everyone has their own honey-cake recipe, 

so I thought this would be nice too.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of shortening or butter
1/2 cup of caster sugar
1/2 cup of honey (or maple syrup)
2 eggs
1/4 cup of sour cream
2 cups of plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp. of each: baking powder, salt, cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and powdered cloves (if wanted)
1.1/2 cups of finely chopped peeled apples - (mini chopper works well)

1 .Cream the fat and sugar and beat in the honey (maple syrup)
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the sour cream.
4. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and spices - combine well.
5. Add the apples.

Grease a baking tray and

6. Drop teaspoons about 3" apart

Bake at 350 deg. F, approx. 180 deg.C for about 15 minutes until the edges are brown.

 These cookies are probably more cakey than a crisp biscuit, but are very nice. 
You could also sandwich them with jam (or similar) in between.

Original vintage recipe

I think next time I make these, I will bake the batter in a shallow rectangular tin and lightly cut them into squares while they are still warm - I think they may look nicer.

Sweetmeal/Digestive Biscuits

Oven: 200deg. C/400 deg.F 
Bake for approx. 12 mins until edges start looking a little browner

Ingredients for approx. 12 biscuits:

2ozs. wholemeal flour (50g) (or Spelt flour)

2ozs. plain flour (50g.) + extra for dusting

4 ozs. (100g) medium oatmeal

1oz. (30g) caster sugar

1/4 tsp. bi-carb.

4ozs. (100g) butter - cold

2 tablespoon of milk

1. Grease a large baking sheet or use non-stick foil.

2. Mix the dry ingredients together then rub in the butter, until you have breadcrumbs.

3. Add the milk, stirring until the mixture starts binding together.  Knead gently until you have a smooth dough.

4.  Roll the dough out to about 1/4" thick and cut into 3" rounds.  
I roll out on KlingFilm which I've spread on the countertop - you then dont have to flour your surface and if you roll out with a piece of KlingFIlm on top - the dough doesn't break up as much. 

biscuits are lightly pricked with a fork (optional)

5. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes until slightly darker around the edges.

Leave to cool on the baking tray for about a minute and transfer to a wire rack to finish
cooling.

You can dip these or spread choc icing/frosting on them too

 

 

Frosting Recipe: 

   1/2 cup of chocolate pieces

   2 tblspoons of butter

   1.1/4 cups of icing sugar

   2 tblspoons of milk

Microwave (covered) the choc and butter, then add the sugar and milk.

Mix well to combine until smooth and shiny

Spread the chocolate on with a knife or just dip half the biscuit into the choc.

 

Original recipe from: Home Baking, Biscuits & Cookies - Wendy Hobson.

The digestive was first developed in 1839 by two Scottish doctors to aid digestion. The term "digestive" is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate - when they were first developed.

Cookies (made with oil) - Sephardic Recipe - very easy

Oven: 350 deg.F, 180/deg. C
Ingredients: - makes around 24 bix
5 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of baking powder
1.1/2 cups of caster sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of wine
1.1/2 tsps of vanilla essence

1 egg - lightly beaten

1. Combine all the ingredients except the egg, in a large bowl and knead the dough until smooth.
2. Roll out the dough (either on klingfilm or lightly floured surface) to about 3/8" thick.
3. Using a round cookie (biscuit) cutter, cut out rounds and lay them on a lightly greased baking sheet.
4. Using a pastry brush, brush each biscuit with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake until golden, approximately 20 mins.

Lovely served with tea or coffee.
Store in an air-tight tin.
Recipe taken from: A Pied Noir Cookbook (Chantal Clabrough)

Chocolate Biscuits with Marshmallow or Chocolate Cream fillings

Choc Bix before filling :) - they bake slightly darker - my photo came out a little bright!

Ingredients for Bix:
5ozs (75g) butter
5 ozs. caster sugar
2 yolks
9 ozs. (250g) SR Flour
1oz. (25g) cocoa powder  (1 good tablespoon)

In a food processor, process all the above ingredients until blended (almost) together.  Dont over-process the dough.
Knead together, lightly, cover, and leave in fridge for about 20 mins. or longer.

At this stage you can 'sausage roll' the dough in Klingfilm and either keep it in the fridge or freeze it.

When ready to use : either cut very thin slices off the roll and place on a greased baking tray - they dont spread too much when baking.  OR
Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into shapes
bake at 190 deg.C for about 10mins.

These are lovely just baked and still warm - they go crispy as they cool.

Marshmallow Filling: - this can also be made in advance.

250ml (9fl oz) double cream

·  55g (2oz) marshmallows

·  250g (9oz) good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

Heat the cream and marshmallows until the cream is just boiling and the marshmallows have melted, stirring continuously ..... The filling can be used as is

Otherwise you can add the chocolate:

Pour over the chopped chocolate and mix gently until smooth, thick and glossy
It will thicken as it gets cold - (leave covered in fridge.)

Another (Buttercream) filling:

1.1/2 ozs. butter

1.1/2 ozs. icing sugar

1 dessertspoon of cocoa powder

Cream all the ingredients together 

Chocolate and Banana (sort of) Cookies - easy

 

  

Oven: 180 deg.C - bake for approx. 10 mins.* (central position)
Ingredients: - makes approx. 30 (ish)

1/3rd cup of butter - soft

1/2 cup of Demerara sugar

1 medium egg

1 very ripe banana

few drops of Natural Orange Extract (you could add Vanilla instead)

1 cup of self-raising flour (or plain flour + 1 tsp. baking powder)

pinch of salt

approx. 75g. dark chocolate - whizzed in the food processor - this should look like large crumbs, but if it gets 'powdered', this is fine too.

Lightly greased (with oil) baking trays

 

1. In your processor - cream the sugar and butter,

2. Add the egg and banana - whizz to combine

3. Add the flour, salt and chocolate - whizz to combine (don't overbeat)

4. I placed teaspoonfuls on the baking trays - and found they didn't spread too much - about 10 at a time.  (I think you could use a larger spoonful.)

1.

2. The cookies do not spread far

3.Bake until the edges are going brown - and remove carefully,  from the baking sheet, while still warm.
leave to cool (if you can!)

* 10 minutes in my oven was just right, but test by just baking a few at first.

 

These are really tasty, just right with a good cup of coffee - specially while still warm :)

They don't come out as a crispy biscuit/cookie, but are more 'cakey'.

 

They are also very nice sandwiched together with a frosting of your choice.

 

These cookies would be great for kids to make (by hand mixing) as they are really easy.

   



 

"Fat Rascals" from Betty's Tea Rooms in Harrogate

 

Oven: Preheated -  220C, 425F, Gas 7 - 15 - 20 mins.
Makes - 8-10 Fat Rascals!
Ingredients:
100g butter
250g plain flour
1.1/2 tsps. baking powder
75g golden caster sugar
75g currants
50g mixed citrus peel (good quality)
150ml. whipping cream or 150ml. sour cream or crème fraiche

1 beaten egg
glace cherries and whole blanched almonds for decoration
cookie cutter about 3" dia.

1. Grease and line a baking sheet.
2. Rub the butter into the flour till it is 'breadcrumbed'
3. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well
4. Add the cream and mix to a firm dough.
5. Roll the dough out on a floured board to about 1" thick and cut out rounds.
You can also shape the Rascals by hand, making a small ball and flatten it out slightly into a sort of 'bap' roll shape.
6. Arrange them on your baking sheet and glaze generously with the beaten egg
7. Top with halved glace cherries, pushing them gently down - add the almonds too. (see above pic.)
8. Cool and you can store them in an airtight tin for up to 4 days.

'The Institution' of Betty's Tea Rooms in Harrogate, Yorkshire.



Recipe Source