Midnight biscuits

The college library where I work has undergone many changes in the last couple of years, but I was still taken by surprise at the Acting Librarian’s idea that we should have a ‘squash and biscuits’ session once a week for the students studying in the library during Trinity term. We are fortunate to have a rather splendid room within the library complex, so students could have a brief break, chat, drink and nibble without having to cross the quad to the JCR (Junior Common Room) and risk being distracted by more lengthy conversation. My contribution was to bake the batch of the biscuits seen above.

Ingredients

125 g/ 4 and a half oz butter

175 g /6 oz caster sugar

1 lightly beaten egg

half a teasp vanilla extract

70 g/ 2  and a half oz self raising flour

70 g / 2 and a half oz ground almonds

35 g/ 1 and a quarter oz cocoa powder

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C for a fan oven/180 degrees C/350 degrees F/Gas Mark 4

Grease and line 3 large baking sheets with baking paper .

Put butter and sugar in a large bowl ad beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift flour and cocoa powder and add to mixture and then incorporate the ground almonds.

with dampened hands take walnut-sized piece of dough and roll into little balls. Place  well apart on the baking sheets and gently flatten them slightly.

Bake for 10- 15 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These biscuits were soft and chewy and very good with morning coffee, as sampled by the library staff.