Blog Swap!

How much fun is it that I get to do a blog swap with Jane in the U.K. I hope you enjoy reading her scrumptious recipes and perhaps trying them as well.

Hi, I am Jane from the UK guest blogging on Sarah’s Blog, living in Preston Lancashire (North West side) with my husband and 2 cats George and Charlotte. I run a Paint your own pottery studio over here and you can find me @fired4u on twitter or www.fired4u.co.uk . Chatting with Sarah over Twitter as to what she would like me to write about she has asked for cooking recipes from me to you.



I love cooking, when I was very young mum taught me to cook – my favourite type was and still is probably baking cakes and biscuits so yummy you have to eat before they cool down. I don’t recommend you try to eat these when they are still hot I don’t want you to burn your tongue! When I was about 8 years up wards my task on a Saturday was to bake for the family for the week! Sponge cake, scones, rock, buns, and biscuits. I loved this ‘task’ as I got first choice to lick out the bowl or spoon when I had finished. Now currently, I sadly haven’t baked in a while as our oven plays up – burns food on one side and not cooked on another especially when I put a cake in , so infuriating I find this and such a waste so I stopped until the oven is repaired. We have searched for a repair man with no luck until about a month ago still with its challenges! However today we hope the lovely man is coming with 2 new thermostats to fix the problem then I can bake my cakes. Must remember to exercise too if I want to eat all that I cook! Though I do take some into work and give to the girls who work for me or very lucky customers.



So here goes;



Chocolate biscuits – now you can add in choc chips or and sultanas too and or take out the chocolate choice is yours



Ingredients

4oz margarine or butter, 4 oz sugar, 4oz self raising flour, 1 oz coca powder (hot chocolate mix works fine), 1 oz custard powder



Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl first, then add in the margarine / butter in bits and work it in with your fingers to a crumbly mixture. Grease a baking tray and sprinkle a little flour over it- this stops the biscuits sticking. Take a big t spoon full of mixture and place on the tray, keep doing this and leave space in between. Then using a fork press the balls of mixture down gently but not too flat – mixture will spread so do leave a gap. Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with a little sugar if you wish



Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, they don’t need to be too firm as they harden when they cool.

Leave to cool if you can and then enjoy eating



Ginger Shortbread



Ingredients

For the shortbread

4 oz margarine / butter, 2 oz castor sugar, 5oz plain flour, 1 teaspoon powder ginger,1 level t spoon of baking powder



Ingredients for the shortbread topping

1 oz butter, ½ t spoon of ginger powder, 2 table spoon icing sugar, 1 t spoon golden syrup or you could use your maple syrup



For the shortbread- mix dry in gredients in a bowl then crumble in the butter. Spread out onto a greased / floured tray with sides and bake to 300 F for 15- 20 mins or until light brown



To make the topping

Melt all the topping ingredients in a pan until all melted and give a good stir. Pour over the shortbread and leave to set



I hope you enjoy baking and eating these. Leave a comment when you do for Sarah



Wishing you a lovely Spring time

Jane