Easter bake-a-thon

[shapeofthings]

L to R: dark chocolate-dipped chocolate and pistachio biscottini, lime & poppyseed shortbread, and M&M cookie

Right, as alluded to a few posts ago, I went a bit bezerk in the kitchen before easter. I made 5 different types of biscuits (cookies for the north Americans) and put together little goodie-boxes for everyone in my group at work. Of course there were lots of left-overs, though they didn't last long! Anyway, before fivecats disowns me, I thought I post up some pictures of said goodies. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
* 160g (2/3 cup) caster sugar (I used raw caster sugar)
* 2 eggs
* 2 cups plain flour
* 1/2 cup good quality cocoa (Dutch-process FTW)
* 80g pistachios

Heat oven to 180 degrees celcius

Line a large tray with baking paper. Beat the sugar and eggs together unil they increase in volume and are thick and pale. Sift in flour and cocoa, stirring with a wooden spoon until almost combined. Add the pistachios and mix by hand (I find the mix is a little too dry to mix so add a tablespoon or so of milk until it comes together). Divide mixture in half and shape into 2 logs approx. 15cm long. Plage logs on lined tray and flatten to approx. 2cm thick. Bake 20min or until firm. Allow to cool comletely then cut logs into 7mm slices. Spread slices in a single layer over lined tray and bake 20 mins, turning half way, or until completely dired. Cool on wire racks.

L to R: M&M cookie, nut cluster cookie, and mixed peel & spice cookie

I used this recipe for the shortbreads, except I used lime instead of lemon (derr), added less milk and some lime juice, and only made the piped tops. They're divine.

The whole hog. Each box contained this fine selection of biscuits plus a Lindt ball, just because

These are based on Mrs. Cox's biscuit recipie from grade 8 home ec. It's the best biscuit recipe ever - quick, tasty and almost imossible to ruin.

Ingredients:
* 6 tbsp unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup (raw) castor sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 tsp vanilla paste
* 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
* plain and peanut M&Ms

Heat oven to 180 C

Beat butter and sugar to a cream. Beat egg seperately and slowly add to creamed mixture with vanilla and beat well. Sift flour slowly into mixture, beating well to form a stiff paste. Mix in as many M&Ms as you can get into the dough without compromising the structural integrity. Roll balls of dough in hands and flatten onto a lined oven tray. Top with remaining M&Ms and bake ~15 mins or until just golden. It's the loads of vanilla that makes these, so be sure to use a good quality vanilla extract or paste.

Each box was also a booby-trapped glitter bomb. Mwahahaha!

Ok, these are the tricky ones, sorry lanternlife! I modified an ANZAC biscuit recipie and made it up as I went along. I'll give the gist of it, but there are no guarantees!

Ingredients:
* 1 cup rolled outs (not quick-cooking oats)
* 1 cup rolled rye (available from health food shops)
* 1/8 cup puffed amaranth (optional, available from health food shops)
* 1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut
* 2 cups plain flour
* 1 1/2 - 2 cups dark brown sugar (depends on how sweet you like them)
* 1 cup salted butter (if using unsalted, add a little salt)
* 2 tbsp golden syrup
* 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
* boiling water
* 1 cup or more mixed nuts and seeds of your choice, chopping any large nuts into smaller pieces (I used sunflower seeds, pepitas, pine nuts and almonds)
* 1 large egg

Heat oven to 150 C

Mix oats, rye, amaranth (if using), flour, sugar and coconut in a large bown until well combined. Melt butter and golden syrup together until syrup is very runny. Dissolve the bi-carb in enough water to be well dissolved. Holding it over the dry mix (it foams up), add the bi-carb to the butter and syrup mix, then pour into dry ingredients and mix well. Add the nuts and work into the mixture until even and sticky. Beat the egg and add to remaining ingredients and mix through. The 'dough' shoudl be crubly and come together when sqeezed. Sqeeze into small balls and place on lined oven tray (if you try to flatten them they'll fall apart), top with a decorative nut, if desired. Bake 20 minutes or until crunchy.

There are still little bits of glitter hiding in the floorboards

Ah, these ones are nice and easy. Use Mrs. Cox's biscuit recipie from the M&M cookies, but without the M&Ms (of course) and less vanilla. Add cinnamon & nutmeg to the mix to taste (and ground cloves if you like) - I use quite a lot to make them rich and tasty - and about a 1/4 cup of dried mixed peel. Roll the dough and cut out with a cookie cutter (if you can be bothered), place on lined tray and bake ~15 mins @ 180 C. When done dust with a combination of cinnamon and icing sugar. Divine!