I received a couple of requests for valentines day recipes and whilst normally I would oblige I could not motivate myself to post anything. I just do not celebrate the day and much prefer to hide myself away from the commercialised stomach churning madness.

I guess I am just not a romantic!

So here is my families recipe for Digestive Biscuits. A biscuit that is just that touch healthier without losing any of the flavour.  When I was a child we would always serve them with a slice of cheese and a nice cup of Yorkshire Tea.

Ingredients
2 oz of whole-wheat flour
2 oz medium oatmeal
1 oz soft brown sugar
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Small pinch of salt
2 oz cold butter – diced
½ to 1 tbsp whole milk

Method
Lightly grease a baking tray
Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius or gas mark 4
Cut two large pieces of cling film

Sift together all of the dry ingredients (return the bran from the whole wheat flour to the bowl), rub in the butter to a breadcrumb like texture. Add sufficient milk to create a moist pastry like consistency, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes

It is important to roll this dough out between two sheets of cling film as it is quite delicate – should be about 3 mm thick. Cut out with a plain biscuit cutter and transfer the biscuits onto the prepared baking tray using a palette knife

Place in a pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown – they must also be firm to the touch
Remove from the oven and leave to rest on the baking tray for five minutes before transferring onto a wire rack
These biscuits will keep for 2 days in an airtight tin

These are nice coated with chocolate ganache made with equal parts of dark chocolate and double cream

Ingredients:
6 oz plain flour
2 tbsp cornflour
½ oz Icing Sugar
1½ tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp ground almonds
Almond extract – a few drops
6 oz butter, diced
3 oz raspberry jam

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Sift the flour, cornflour and icing sugar into a bowl, stir in the syrup, ground almonds and almond extract

Rub in the butter and press the mixture together to form dough

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth

Using your hand, roll the dough into small balls – the size of a walnut – and place well apart on the prepared baking tins, make an indent in the centre of each biscuit with your finger and fill with a little jam

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden brown

Leave to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Ingredients:
9 oz unsalted butter, softened
9 oz unrefined caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract
18 oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

Method:
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, beat in the eggs and vanilla extract
Sift the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl then stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture
Bring the dough together using your hands and turn out onto a floured work surface, knead into a ball
Divide the dough in two
Flatten each piece into a disc and wrap in Clingfilm, chill in refrigerator for two hours
Preheat the oven to 170°C
Place one of the discs of dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a thickness of 1/5”
Cut out using a floured shaped or plain round cutter
Place the cookies a little apart on a non-stick baking sheet and cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a light golden brown
Transfer to a wire rack using a palette knife and leave to cool
Repeat with the second lot of dough

Ingredients:
5 oz softened butter
4 oz golden caster sugar
5 oz plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ oz desiccated coconut

Method:
Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy and smooth, mix in the vanilla extract

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into the bowl, add the desiccated coconut and mix thoroughly until the mixture comes together

Divide into two pieces and make into sausages approximately 2” in diameter, wrap in cling film and chill overnight

Cut into very thin slices and place on non-stick baking sheet

Bake in the centre of a preheated oven set to 180 degrees Celsius for about 8 minutes

Watch them carefully as they tend to brown very quickly – they are ready when the biscuits on the edge of the tray just begin to change colour

Leave to cool a little and then place on a wire cooling rack – these biscuits are very delicate so handle carefully

Ingredients – Syllabub

5 fl oz white wine
¾ cup of caster sugar
1 tablespoons Cognac or Brandy
1 tablespoon Pale Cream Sherry
1 carton of Double Cream
Juice and zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

Ingredients for the rhubarb mixture:

500 grams “forced” rhubarb – pink skin – cut into 2cm pieces
150 grams caster sugar
50 ml water

Method:

Pour the wine into the bowl of an electric mixer (or a mixing bowl if you are going to make it by hand), add the Sherry and Brandy and grate into it the zest of the lemon. Squeeze the lemon juice and add to the mixture. Put into the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 170C or gas mark 3. Place the rhubarb in an ovenproof dish and cover with the sugar and water, bake until the rhubarb is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Remove the mixture for the syllabub from the refrigerator and strain through a sieve lined with muslin, add the sugar and beat gently until dissolved. Add the cream and continue beating until the mixture starts to thicken – you should stop when the mixture will only just keep its shape. This stage is crucial as it should not be too thick.

To assemble the dish, spoon half of the rhubarb mixture into sundae glasses, add half of the Syllabub, then add the remainder of the rhubarb finishing with the rest of the Syllabub.

Refrigerate until cold, serve with very thin Black Gingers.

These beautiful biscuits were named so not because they were black, but rather their use of black treacle. One day, as I was pottering around our pantry, I came across a jar of Black Treacle which was getting dreadfully close to its use by date. With it I made some treacle toffee, and these wonderful ginger biscuits – an ingredient unique of my own. Hence their name Fembat´s Black Gingers. I have one heck of a sense of humour, its just unfortunate that often others just dont see the pun…

Ingredients::

225g [8oz] Self-Raising Flour
Pinch Salt
1 x 5ml Ground Ginger
100g [4 oz] Caster Sugar
75g [3 oz] Margarine
50g [1 1/2 oz] Golden Syrup
50g [1 1/2 oz] Black Treacle
1 medium egg, beaten

Method::

1. Heat oven to 180c, 350f, Gas Mark 4. Grease some baking trays.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients.
3. Warm the ingredients and syrup. Add to the dry ingredients with the beaten egg and mix well.
4. Place teaspoons of the mixture on the baking trays and bake for 15 mins.
5. Remove from baking tray and cool on a wire rack.

To make this vegan I ensure the margarine is one suitable of vegans, and replace the 1 medium egg with a teaspoon of “No Egg” [Egg Replacement] whisked well in two tablespoons of water. I find this make a marvellous vegan alternative to this now much loved family recipe.