Do you really want to know what’s on my plate at the moment?
Right I’ll tell you!
- Clothes, mountain of clothes! I’m trying to declutter while the Mathematician is away for a few days – wish me luck!
- Gin – made right here in Tumbarumba, it’s Blood Orange flavoured and has just been hand delivered to me from the local producers 🙂
- Plans for a family Christmas – fingers crossed it will happen
- Seasonal pressures – you know just the usual gift buying, cooking, planning, worries, time management, birthday angst – no that’s a lie, I love having a birthday in December – (said no-one ever except maybe baby Jesus)
Anyway I think the Blood Orange Gin will solve all of those things don’t you?
Oh you meant what’s on my plate food wise?
Spice Biscuits recipe (thanks to my sister Sharon)
No, not the Spice Girls 🙂 although it has been fun doing exercises lately with both ABBA and the Spice Girls providing the sound track!
I’m sharing a recipe my sister sent me to try. I must say it’s quite an easy one, which means it’s not complicated at all, plus I had all the ingredients in the house at the same time and they’re delicious – that’s a win/win/win in my book!
Ingredients:
- 110g softened butter (I used Nuttelex as my husband can’t tolerate dairy)
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1.5 cups SR flour
Coating: Mix these ingredients together in separate bowl
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
What to do:
- Set oven at 180C
- Cream butter and sugar
- Beat in egg and vanilla essence
- Add sifted flour and mix to form a dough
- Roll small amounts into balls and coat in the coating mix
- Use a fork to flatten them a little (this is my addition to the recipe)
- Bake for 10 mins.
- Leave on baking tray to cool. I also sprinkled the excess coating mix over the biscuits as they came out of the oven.
- Makes about 25-30 (sometimes more).
And the Mathematician liked them!
I wondered if you could use cookie cutters to make them into festive shapes, so I might give that a try next time – because there will be a next time! Maybe when my granddaughter comes to visit for my birthday weekend soon – that could be a great little project!
Pears Belle Helene from Villette
Regular readers would know that our online bookclub not only reads books, but at the end of each book we cook something from the period, the countryside or inspired from the story, and we do it all together over Zoom!
Last month we had finished Charlotte Bronte’s Villette so Jo, our intrepid author/baker, took us through making poached pears and chocolate sauce. You can read Jo’s post with the recipe here.
I have to say they were easy, fun and delicious. You’ve probably seen the photos from some of the others but here are mine. My sauce could have been thicker but I think it due to the lactose free cream I used. Nonetheless, I was impressed with myself and will definitely make these again.
Feel like joining in?
So now you know what’s on my plate – food and generally!
It’s fun joining Canadian bloggers Donna and Deb for their What’s on your plate challenge series each month. These posts go live on the first Wednesday of each month and you can join in too.
It’s not a hard challenge and I can assure you it’s not just for ‘proper’ cooks – I’m joining in so how hard can it be?? It’s fun looking at what others are making and how they do things and I always learn new things from everyone who participates.
What’s Coming Up:
My birthday is soon!!
Also, in blogging news our online bookclub is planning a special one-off all things festive post on Friday 10 December, then we’ve got our monthly What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge post going live on Friday 17 December.
Hope to see you 🙂
Deb xx
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Deb's World 
I’ve always been a wine drinker but all these flavored gins and vodkas make me think I may be missing something! Your poached pear with chocolate sauce looks so good and, apparently by the empty plate photo, it was a hit with your taste buds and tummy. Enjoy your birthday. Mine is is early January and I never liked that since it usually was cold. Where you live, at least your birthday isn’t in the winter!
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Hi Janis, the new flavours of gin are so popular these days aren’t they? As it’s summer here a refreshing gin and tonic is a delightful way to end the day! My birthday is usually a warm one but two years ago I spent it in England and it was actually nice to have a change of season. Thanks for the good wishes.
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You crack me up, Deb! You have such an impeccable sense of humour!
I love the look & sound of the spice biscuits. We are scheduling Christmas cookie baking soon, and instead of gingerbread, maybe we will try these instead!
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Thanks Ju-Lyn, I’m so pleased you get my humour and actually think I’m funny 🙂 You made my day! I hope you enjoy making them. Let me know how they go.
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Will do – have talked to Baker Younger Child and she has agreed to ditch the gingerbread in favour of your spice cookies. Recipe printed out and ready to go.
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Oh, your pics have me drooling 😂 love the sound of those spice cookies, maybe with a gin on the side lol. Hope you have a great month ahead Deb. xx
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Yes the gin is great Miriam and the biscuits aren’t too bad either. Hope all is well with you. I must call by your blog soon! x
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Hi Deb, love what is on your plate at the moment except for the decluttering and the stress with Christmas preparations. I will be with my grandsons next week and bought some Christmas cookie cutters so I think I’ll try your spiced biscuits with the boys using the cutters. We had so much fun with our Bookclub baking didn’t we?
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Thanks Sue, my clothes mountain has disappeared and I’m back on track! Hope the biscuits work out and the boys like them 🙂 I love our baking sessions!
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I’m going to give those spice biscuits a try. They look like just the thing to send into work with Grant.
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Let me know how they turn out Jo.
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You had me at blood orange gin 😉
Seriously though, I love me a spice cookie (Dutch heritage, for the win!). They look easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing, Debbie!
Deb
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Yes the gin is a winner that’s for sure Deb 🙂
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Hi, Debbie – Your spice cookies look delicious. I wish that I could reach through my screen and grab myself one (or perhaps two)!
Thank you for sharing what else has been on your plate this month (lifewise). So glad Blood Orange Gin was there for the rescue!
You’ve reminded me. The holiday season is here. Time to get cracking!
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Thanks Donna, I love joining up each month even though cooking isn’t really my forte! I can inform you the Blood Orange gin is delicious!
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Hi Deb – I like that you threw in a bit on what was on your “life plate” as well as your dinner plate. It sounds like a busy blogging month ahead too. I hope the borders behave themselves and you get your family Christmas together – nothing (absolutely NOTHING) beats family for Christmas xx
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Yes it’s always good to be up front with what’s going on in the ‘real world’ isn’t it Leanne? Fingers crossed re the borders!
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