Rose Water Biscuits

This week was one of those weeks when I was in need of a little something to get me going, and that's where these sweet biscuits came in. Once I'd had one (or two, or perhaps it was three...) of these with a cuppa I felt ready to take on anything. Well, you know, mostly dull stuff like the housework.

These would be great for a girly tea party and you could always substitute the rose water for vanilla or lemon extract for a different flavour and use different colours to decorate.

Rose Water Biscuits (makes around 30)

90g unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp rose water

225g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

To decorate:

250g icing sugar

1-2 tbsp rose water

a little cold water
a small amount of food colouring paste/liquid

sprinkles/sugar flowers

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add egg and rose water and beat until fully incorporated.
2. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until you have a light dough (it should feel a little springy).
3. Wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for about half an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C (160° fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
5. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thickness. Cut out rounds (I used a 5cm fluted cutter) and place on prepared trays, leaving a cm gap between each biscuit.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a cooling rack.
7. Sift icing sugar into a bowl, add rose water, a dash or two of cold water and the colouring. Mix until you have a good consistency for icing the biscuits, adding more water or icing sugar as necessary.
8. Spoon or pipe onto cooled biscuits. Place any decorations on straight away before the icing starts to set.

Peanut butter cookies

I love peanut butter! These cookies are melt in the mouth good. It's pretty much impossible to eat just one (fact: four had been consumed before they were finished - one in dough form, and the rest somewhere between baked and splattered with chocolate) and they taste great with or without the chocolate. Go on, get into that kitchen of yours and make a batch now. Here's the recipe.

Peanut butter cookies (makes 28)

250g butter

140g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

150g crunchy peanut butter

300g plain flour

75g milk chocolate (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan assisted.
2. Mix together butter and sugar.
3. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, followed by the peanut butter and stir through.
4. Add flour and mix until a delicious peanuty dough has formed.

5. Break off golf ball sized pieces, shape into rounds and pop on a lightly greased baking tray. During baking they will spread out a little so do leave some space between each cookie.
6. Bake on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes.
7. Once the cookies (the ones that have survived the journey that is) have cooled, melt the chocolate and fling/swirl/dollop it on top.