Maple Walnut Biscuits

 

Makes 48 biscuits
unsalted butter 230g, at room temperature
caster sugar 100g
vanilla pod ½, split and seeds scraped
freshest organic egg yolk 1
maple syrup 2 tbsp
plain flour 275g, sifted, plus extra for dusting
walnuts 150g

Heat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4.
Cut the butter roughly into pieces and cream in a food mixer until pale.
Add the sugar and vanilla seeds and continue to mix until pale again.
Mix in the egg yolk and the maple syrup.
Roast the walnuts for 5-10 minutes in the hot oven, leave to cool and coarsely chop. Turn off the oven.
Add the flour and chopped walnuts to the butter mix and combine until a dough forms. Knead this deftly and swiftly on a lightly floured surface.
Once the dough is formed, shape into a cylinder roughly 30cm in length and 5-6cm in width. Cut in half and roll each half in a sheet of greaseproof paper, twisting the ends as if for a large bonbon.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (if desired, one of the halves can be frozen for another time).
Heat the oven again to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. As these are best eaten fresh, slice and bake only what is needed, then rewrap, store and return to the fridge. Cut 3mm-thick slices and lay in serried ranks on the lined baking sheet.
Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

From Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many by Jeremy Lee (HarperCollins, £30)

Basil Flatbread

 https://forkandflower.com/index.php/2013/02/17/basil-flatbread/

ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. cold butter
1 bunch basil, chopped
1 bunch basil, leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
maldon sea salt1 egg white

 

directions:

preheat the oven to 200 degrees c / 375 degrees f. combine the flour, chopped basil, the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the sugar in a bowl. work in the butter with your hands, until the consistency resembles bread crumbs. with the mixer running, pour in the cream step by step, until dough forms. put on a lightly floured surface and work with the hands. cool for 30 minutes in the fridge. 

divide dough into 2 pieces. roll out dough on floured surface with a pin until very thin. transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. press the basil leaves into the dough. brush with egg wash (egg white with water) and sprinkle with maldon sea salt. bake for about 12 minutes. let cool and divide with a pizza cutter into bite-sized crackers. serve with cheeses or with baked ricotta for a antipasto.