Gingerbread for Christmas biscuits.

Gingerbread biscuit dough, suitable for making “houses” or cutting in shapes etc

For 1 house or 4 doz bix

MELT  the first four things together:

 3 oz butter,

4 oz soft brown sugar.

 4 Tablesp treacle or molasses

4 Tablesp golden syrup or honey.

Meanwhile, SIFT into a large bowl:

1 lb plain flour

1 and ½ Tablesp ground ginger

1 Tablesp mixed spice

Other things, put by in small bowls;

1 Tablesp bread soda plus 2 Tablesp cold water, (separately, at first)

Finely grated rind of 1 small lemon

1 medium egg, beaten,

Method:

Put first four things into a saucepan, place over  low heat, stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves, and stir until blended and no longer grainy. Take off heat and cool to lukewarm.

Have dry ingredients ready.

Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the cold water.

Stir this into the warm, melted mixture, add lemon zest, stir well, the mix may foam. (this is OK)

Gradually mix this liquid into the dry ingredients alternating with drips of the beaten egg; It may look very dry etc  but persevere.  Work with hands and squeeze and knead until dough forms.  Gather into a ball. (if too slack, rest it for 15 mins; or add a little more flour, cautiously)

You may chill it at this stage to recover firmness (or rest your hands) but don’t leave it to get too cold or it will crack and be too stiff to roll thinly.

Oven to 375deg F or 120deg C

Line your tin trays with non-stick baking parchment.

Shake dusting mixture on the table or a very little flour.

Roll out quite thinly (thicker for gingerbread houses though, obviously) cut and bake, until puffy and dry but not scorched...watch!! for about 10 mins. Cool promptly, on rack, box in airtight Tupperware or similar.

Superb for holding shapes and impressions, does not spread.

Not too sweet, so needs sugar icing (or a roof of marshmallows and liquorice allsorts etc!.)

Ice when completely cold.

The raw dough can be sticky - roll complex shapes on silicone paper.

Makes lots and lots.

Crisp brown flaky pastry - Mince Pies

Quantities for 1 jar of commercial mincemeat, makes 2 dozen little pies.

(Set your oven to 200degs C, or 425F)

1 lb flour, with a level teaspoon salt mixed in
6 oz lard
6 oz butter
7 fl oz cold water

Method:
Put the flour and salt into a large bowl (no need to sieve but you can if you want)
Cut the fats into 1 cm cubes and add to flour mix; stir to coat them.Add the water which will mix the flour into a sludgy paste with lumps: stir all this roughly together and turn out onto a well-floured tabletop. Knead just enough to make this very lumpy paste easier to handle; then press or squeeze, or even BANG with a rolling-pin, the mound into a rough rectangle, shaped like a paperback book.
Press this out to flatten a little, then fold the top third down, the bottom third up, (use a blunt knife or similar to do this) and turn the whole thing north-to-west. Flatten again with the rolling pin.
Repeat this process several times: it will get smoother and roll out flatter each time.
After three turns, wrap closely in foil or greaseproof and rest it for 15 minutes.
(It doesn't have to be in a fridge, but must be cool) (to keep the fats firm)
Then repeat the rolling and folding, say three more times.
By then it will be a smooth sheet that rolls out flat and far;
Wrap and rest and chill again before use; but, a note of caution; do NOT over-chill; if this gets too cold it may dry out and crack, and also, being hardened, it won't roll thin enough and may give a thick doughy result.
Finally when ready to bake, have your oven hot and lightly grease a sheet or two of patty tins.
Roll out your cool pastry, fairly thin.
If it is too cold to roll thinly, wait while it slackens a little.

Cut into circles, larger for lining, smaller for lids; (or any variation you like)
Put just a small teaspoon of mincemeat in each: any more is liable to boil over and run out making a mess!
Glaze the tops of the little pies by brushing with beaten egg.
Bake for 13 to 15 mins
Take out and remove from the tins while warm: if you leave it until they are cold, the syrup sticks the pies down like glue and they are much harder to remove!

These can be warmed a little to serve; shake a little icing sugar over to decorate.

re; mincemeat: recipes vary; the commercial kind is fairly ordinary but some of the home-made ones can be very coarse - choose one that you know you like, applying the trusty tastebud test!

It must be REAL lard and real butter; nothing else gives the same flaky result.

Yet more about coffee measurements: starbucks version

They suggest, 2 tablespoons (10 grams) to 6 floz (180 ml) of water.
I did check by weighing the 2 tablespoons of starbucks fground coffee; impressed, it ddid indeed weigh 10 grams!

I mixed it with the specified amount of just-boiled water and it made an excellent brew; sweet and warming.

The one I used was Colombia; described on the packet as "balanced and nutty" it is quite coarsely ground. I steeped the mixture ofr a couple of minutes then ppoured through a sieve into a small mug. excellent.

Not so excellent was the effect on my husband, who chose to interpret "balanced and nutty" as an invitation to give of his best behaviour; alternating between sweetly polite and Professor-Branestawm crazY1

maybe i should have bought the other flavour, "balanced and lively"

More about coffee quantities

This is definitely a "King Charles's Head" area for me; the obscurity and ambiguity of the proportions suggested by coffee sellers.
Today I found a brilliant clear video...I make no apology for posting this link!

http://www.coffeedetective.com/how-to-make-coffee.html

The Mineral Food game.

Years ago, one of my children read in some educational book that virtually all human foods were either animal or vegetable; the only two minerals that humans regularly consume being salt and water.
(Obviously this does not count the trace elements and minerals to be found within the foods)

This was discussed over the family dinner table one Hallowe'en. We began to think of others...the first two nominations were Rock Buns and Sand Tarts (An American biscuit sprinkled with coarse sugar)
Water Biscuits, someone else offered.
Stone Cream, I countered.

And thus was born the Mineral Food Game which we have played on and off in the family, and also on facebook, for the last year or so.

Lots and lots of suggestions have been recorded...contibutions are still being accepted!

Here's an incomplete list of the best suggestions!

Sand tarts
Stone cream
Water biscuits
Gravellaks
Seaside rock
Ices
Minerals
Mississippi mud pie
Lime juice
Key lime pie
Lime anything etc etc...
Granita
Salt crackers
Stonefish
Rockfish
Soda water
Sodas
Soda crackers etc
And of course, Lime Soda!

and so on...all offers accepted...no, they won't be!! it must be a mineral and SOUND like a mineral food. But suggestions gratefully received...

Coddle

Dublin Coddle.

Traditional Saturday-night supper in our nation's capital. Plain family food, local ingredients and simple equipment.
Quantities are approximate, as always: this is a rough guide for about four people.

Half a pound of pork sausages
About 6 bacon rashers
Five large potatoes, peeled, or more if small.
2 or 3 onions
A handful of pot-herbs
Pepper but not salt

A good large saucepan that will hold them all with enough water to boil them.

Cut up one of the potatoes into cubes about the size of Monopoly dice and put these into the pan first. Then chop the onions roughly and put them on top. Cut the sausages into one-inch lengths, approx - maybe, thirds? and cut the rashers into similar-sized squares. Add to pan. Then a small handful of parsley and thyme on the stalk, known in Dublin as "pot-herbs", and pepper. Cut the remaining potatoes into quite large chunks and balance on top of the other ingredients. Cover carefully with hot water just up to the spuds but barely to cover them. Bring to the boil on a brisk heat and as soon as it boils, immediately turn the heat down to simmer: cook gently until the potatoes are soft.  
Do Not Stir!
(Because that would break up the spuds, which should stay on top and remain whole)

If it has turned out right, the small cubes of potato at the bottom of the pan will have disintegrated and thicken the liquid, while the large ones on top retain their shape and firmness.

Ladle into wide deep soup plates, eat with a spoon.
Traditionally serve with bread and butter, (batch loaf, of course) and stout for those who like it!

It is permissible in certain circles to sprinkle in some commercial brown sauce such as Kandee, to season each bowlful as the diner may wish. However no other additions are correct in my opinion. Carrots in particular are often suggested, but they contribute a watery sweetness which does no favours for the firm, earthy, salty flavours already present.
At a pinch, I would permit the inclusion of some pearl barley; but it is not the purest form of the dish.
Above all, the dish must be gently simmered - "coddled" - and must not be too watery: it is something between a soup and a stew and a substantial meal in its own right: cheap, too!