Gingerbread Biscuits

Biscuits are pretty great. Sweet or savoury, biscuits are wonderful to snack on, whether its with your morning cuppa, afternoon coffee, or bedtime hot chocolate. Of all biscuits, gingerbread is a firm favourite of mine. The spice of the ginger with the dark flavour of treacle and the sweet syrup combine to make this deliciously moreish biscuit.

GINGERBREAD BISCUITS
INGREDIENTS:
300g/10oz Self-raising flour
Pinch salt
6tsp Ginger powder
100g/4oz Caster sugar
50g/2oz Butter
2tbsp Golden syrup
2tbsp Black treacle
4tbsp Milk

Glace icing, glace cherries, raisins or chocolate drops to decorate, if one so wishes.

METHOD:

1. Heat oven to Gas Mark 3 (160C/325F)
2. Place flour, salt, and ginger in bowl.
3. Heat sugar, butter, golden syrup and treacle in a pot until melted.
4. Add to the dry ingredients
5. Add milk and mix to a firm consistency. Knead lightly with hands.
6. Roll out dough and cut into shapes. Place on a baking tray. Add decorations if you wish.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until done.
8. Allow to cool slightly, then place on a wire rack. Biscuits made with syrup are often soft when they come out of the oven, but will crispen on standing.  
9. Decorate with glace icing if you wish.

Chicken And Mushroom Palmiers

Palmiers.

Sweet party bites are great, right? Popcorn balls, little bites of flaky pastry with chocolate fillings, cute little macarons, biscuits, chocolate fingers... yum. But occasionally, all that cloying sweetness feels like its choking you from inside out. And so a mixture of savoury and sweet party bites are the best way to go. Now, I don't know about you, but I always find savoury more difficult to make rather than sweet, and so I prefer easy, simple recipes that are quick and can be made ahead of time. These chicken and mushroom palmiers fit the description perfectly, with their flaky, golden pastry, well seasoned, flavourful filling, and not bad at all to look at. Made with only a handful of ingredients, these are quick and delicious, and even the mushroom haters enjoy them, which really is saying something.
Because I'm lazy (as you all probably know by now) I use ready rolled puff pastry rather than the blocks. These also ensure a more even pastry thickness, and nice neat sides. (I usually roll the ready rolled pastry so its just that bit thinner, because I think its a little thick.) Palmiers can be made ahead, cut, and frozen until the needed time, and so are perfect for last minute snacks, as party sides, or little savoury treats.

CHICKEN & MUSHROOM PALMIERS.

INGREDIENTS:
2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry, defrosted.
500g chicken breast.
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger.
1 large clove garlic.
1-2 green chillies.
1 onion.
6-7 mild peppadews.
Handful of jalapenos in brine.
5-6 medium sized button mushrooms.
Chinese 5-spice and dried parsley to season.
2tsp fresh mustard.

METHOD:

1. Finely dice the chicken, mushrooms, onions, peppadews, drained jalapenos, ginger, garlic, and green chillies.
2. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan. Add in ginger, garlic, and green chilli, and the chicken. Cook until the chicken is done through and the water has burnt away. Add in the onion, mushroom, jalapenos and peppadews, and cook though.
3. Stir in the mustard, and then season to taste with 5spice and dried parsley. Leave aside to cool.
4. Unroll the pastry. Spread a generous amount of filling on the outer 1/3rd's of the pastry, leaving the middle third empty. Roll both ends inwards so that they meet in the middle. brush with a little milk to help seal.
5. Cut into slices, and place on a baking tray, leaving space between each palmier. brush with milk, then bake at Gas Mark 7 for 12-15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through.