Cream Biscuits

Another of Chef John's recipes. Although I've increased the cream a bit because I kept adding while stirring. Perhaps this flour is more absorbent.

• 2 cups flour including raising agent (2tsp baking powder, sprinkle salt) 
• 2tbs sugar 
• 2 cups heavy cream 

• plus a good dob of melted butter 

Heat oven to Freaking Hot (260c, mine only goes to 225c). Line baking sheet with foil.

Mix main ingredients into a dough, and then for some reason Chef John does an imitation of making puff pastry thing without the layering butter, just once (fold into three and roll out again) and perhaps it makes them flakier. Anyway I did and they pouffed. Cut out, then brush top with melted butter. Bake until golden (10-12 mins). Brush with butter AGAIN. Serve.

Coconut Macaroons

Four egg whites, 1 2/3 cups sugar, 2 cups desiccated coconut, vanilla essence.

Whip up the whites, meringue them up with the sugar, then fold in the vanilla and coconut. Dollop onto greased paper and bake at 150 for quite a while. Maybe 35 minutes or more? Makes tasty chewy biscuits and they're jolly easy. Good afternoon snack.

Marzipan Pouffies

There’s no marzipan and they’re not hugely poufy, but still, that’s what they are. Good emergency I-Need-Something-Sweet-Now item from store cupboard. You need:



Two frozen sheets of puff pastry

1 cup almond meal

0.5 cup icing sugar

A few slurps of Amaretto or almond essence (optional)

1 egg

A few dried apricots (optional)

Lay one of the sheets flat on a greased baking tray. Combine the almond meal, sugar, and the white of the egg (keep the yolk) with just enough Amaretto or almond essence and water to make it into a thick paste. If you’re using the apricots, chop them up and add too. Spread on the bottom sheets, cover with the other, seal round the edges. Combine the yolk with either more amaretto and a bit of sugar or just water and brush over the top, bake on high until it’s done (golden and… poufy).

 You can serve this warm with ice cream over the top in squares, but it’s a little hard to cut the bottom layer in a bowl. I think the sick-cut method when they’re a bit cooler (making them delectable finger food) is preferable.