Sarah's Blog

Advent calendars, snow flurries and ginger biscuits

Tim went out to buy Advent calendars today but, apparently, there wasn't much of a choice in our local Tesco. He came back with 2 Winnie the Poohs and 2 Hello Kittys. He fully expected that I would have a Hello Kitty (yes!) and that April, being a kitty fan, would have the other. Uh-oh! April discovered that the Winnie the Pooh calendars had not just chocolate but also stickers and magnets and she HAD to have one. Rosie, who wouldn't go near Hello Kitty if she was paid to, chose the other W-the-P which left poor old Tim with Hello Kitty! Ha! Ha! Ha!

They do looked cute all lined up though :)

 

We finally got snow today although not much. It just "flurried" on and off all day - didn't settle but it did make a nice view out of the kitchen window as I got on with some baking. I made ginger biscuits and they are JUST perfect with an afternoon cup of tea.

 

Ingredients:

120g softened butter

120g caster sugar

1 dessertspoon golden syrup

1 egg yolk

200g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon cream tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger

pinch salt

pinch mixed spice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170c/gas 3 and grease a large baking sheet

2. Cream the butter and sugar together

3. Add the syrup and egg yolk and mix well

4. Sieve in the flour, salt, tartar, baking powder and spices and mix to form a stiff dough

5. Take small pieces (about the size of a walnut), put on tray and flatten slightly into a round. Don't put the "rounds" too close together.

6. Bake for about 12 minutes until golden.

Yum Yum!

Rosie has also been doing some baking - at Guides - they made little itty-bitty mince pies and very nice they were too :) They were still warm when she got home so we finished cooling them before eating.

 

PS - and, yes, Tim and I DO have advent calendars along with the kids - why not? I know a lot of grown ups would think it childish and silly - I just call it fun. There is no rule ANYWHERE that says the fun has to stop once you reach adulthood. I firmly believe the world would be just a BIT happier if people retained a sense of playful, child-like joy as they got older.