SUNDAY,SNOW AND SCRABBLE

   OLD FASHIONED MALTED MILK BISCUITS

It was wonderful to wake up this morning and not have to scramble out of bed and rush down stairs for a hurried breakfast to make room for the Dungeoneers. Actually I rather like to have them about the place but oh, the luxury of a proper lie in on a Sunday,especially when there is snow falling.

We drank several cups of coffee before venturing forth for a breakfast of French pancakes,and very good they were.

Afterwards I set about making a large batch of cookies, I had decided to bake some treacle oaties,but discovering that I did not have sufficient golden syrup I baked some malted milk biscuits instead. They are quite a plain biscuit but the flavour of the brewers malt really comes out as you munch away, they are satisfying,nutritious and are also very good with a strong cheese like mature Cheddar. Today we ate them hot from the oven with a pot of tea,both the boys love them so I made lots.

MALTED MILK BUSCUITS

4oz butter

4oz granulated sugar

12 oz plain flour

half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

1 egg

2 table spoons of malt extract

2 tablespoons of milk

pinch of salt

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the egg and the malt and beat again.

Finally add the flour, salt , milk and bicarbonate of soda and mix to form a dough.

Roll out and cut into rounds with a pastry cutter.

Bake at 170oC for between 10 and 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack,store in an airtight tin.

These cookies can be dipped in chocolate,or topped with a plain white glacé icing and sprinkled with a little ovaltine.

Although my son is still in considerable pain was managed a couple of games of Scrabble this afternoon,during which we drank more tea and ate more cookies. About half way through the second game Moth our Calico cat appeared at the window urgently requesting to be let in, ten minutes later with a sachet of food in her tummy and a big fuss from my son she was tucked up in her basket by the radiator fast asleep.

Upstairs Twiggy was draped along my bedroom radiator luxuriating in the heat ,she did not budge all day.

Having declared a no chores day (except of course for the baking) I made a very fast pasta dish for dinner stuffed with home baked ham and sun dries tomatoes,onions and leeks, real comfort food for a chilly day.

The snow did not stop at all and now as I write I can see it swirling wildly around the street lamp opposite,the flakes seem bigger now and they are falling faster than ever. The lane has not been gritted and the pavements are unusable,the snow is so pretty that I cannot regret is,t presence,even so I cannot help wondering what the roads will be like tomorrow if it continues.

For now we are warm and snug and happy to be together,the three of us and our cats,there is nothing better on earth than this I am sure.