| Every end of term at my daughters' | | | | energy conservation...mine and the world's in |
| kindergarten, finds us baking cheese biscuits | | | | equal measure. |
| for their festival. These are delicious, easy | | | | |
| to make, light flaky mouthfuls of crunch, | | | | Here is the recipe for the cheese biscuits: |
| just like cheese straws only more fun, as you | | | | |
| can use any shaped cookie cutter you like. We | | | | 100g/4oz finely grated cheese |
| have pigs, bunnies, stars, moons, hearts, | | | | |
| fish. They are the perfect answer to the | | | | 50g/2oz self-raising flour |
| dilemma of providing a treat snack for school | | | | |
| feasts and festivals, that doesn't break the | | | | 25g/1oz soft butterpinch of cayenne pepper |
| school guidelines of minimising sugar but is | | | | |
| still fun for the kids. They are also an | | | | For the cheese you can use a mature cheddar |
| essential item at birthday parties for my | | | | or 80g mild cheddar with 20g parmesan cheese. |
| children. The last birthday had me | | | | Put everything into a bowl and rub in, |
| frantically rolling and cutting out these | | | | squidge and knead for about 5 minutes until |
| cheese biscuits, in between trying to get a | | | | it comes together into a soft dough. It will |
| roast lunch on the table before the afternoon | | | | do, just as you are about to give up hope of |
| party. The original plan had been for the | | | | it doing so unaided. Roll out the dough on a |
| kids to do all the work, to keep them | | | | lightly floured surface to about 2.5mm/ 1/8" |
| entertained and gainfully employed in the | | | | thick and cut into whatever fancy shapes you |
| lull before the party, but the birthday girl | | | | have cutters for. Bake at 200C/400F for 10-12 |
| was too busy playing with her new toys and | | | | minutes until golden. Cool on a rack. This |
| the others too busy bemoaning the fact it was | | | | amount disappears very quickly, even before |
| so long before their birthdays, so that I got | | | | you've turned your back on them sometimes, |
| left with the job at the last minute! | | | | they're very light and moreish, so I usually |
| | | | make double or triple quantities for the |
| Today though I had the five year olds in | | | | festivals. |
| charge of the cheese biscuits, kneading then | | | | |
| rolling out and cutting out with animal | | | | The cheese biscuits go down very well with |
| shaped cookie cutters. This still required a | | | | adults too. At the last birthday party one |
| fair amount of timely intervention, to get | | | | father polished off a whole plateful, rather |
| the dough to hold together before frustration | | | | than sample the birthday cake. They would |
| set in and make sure my youngest got a chance | | | | make a great accompaniment to drinks before |
| to cut out some shapes without destroying her | | | | dinner. You could cut them into long strips |
| older sister's carefully ordered scheme of | | | | and give one twist to make them into cheese |
| things. I also had to get a batch of bread | | | | straws, then sprinkle them with extra |
| done while they were cooking, as we had | | | | parmesan or find a more sophisticated shape |
| finished up the last slice at lunch, but that | | | | as a cookie cutter - the star shapes would |
| used up the rest of my energy reserves so I | | | | still be good. Mind you most laid-back adults |
| settled on baked potatoes as a minimal effort | | | | would be just as happy as the kids to be |
| supper. The oven was on anyway for the | | | | eating pigs and bunnies! |
| biscuits and bread so it was all in aid of | | | | |