Chocolate Malty Biscuits; A Food Hug.

Hiiii Intrepid Traveler...so it's that time of year again, well it is for those of us not swanning around across the other side of the world. It's the time when all the Christmas festivities have slowly dwindled away; the decs are tucked-up away for another year and the big pile of annual treats is quickly diminishing. 

It's the time when doing all the things that seemed totally normal and routine before it all kicked off now feel just that bit more difficult. This week, I've set my alarm early so I could run 3 times, and 3 times I have opened my eyes to such a lack of light peeking through the blinds that I've turned over and decided that it wasn't such a good idea. To be fair though, one of those days involved 102mph winds...I'll let myself off that one.

So I thought we could all do with a food hug; a concept I inadvertently invented the other day when I miss-spelled a text to a friend...she wasn't in the slightest bit confused though; it was me after all, and I like food a lot, and hugs. It made perfect sense.

I guess we all have our own versions of food hugs: mac and cheese, Heinz tomato soup, beans on toast, but a gooey, chocolatey, maltyey biscuit seems like a fairly universally pleasing place to start. Hope you're not on a New Years diet, because you need these, or you will when you're back in the real world, with a cup of tea and chats. So call any time and I'll join you. With Love and Cake.

Chocolate Malt Biscuits

Adapted from Nigella Christmas

A few notes:

• These would look extra lovely drizzled with some melted chocolate or if you wanted to be super fancy how about squishing some crushed Matlesers on top of the uncooked biscuits.
• When I say the biscuits should look underdone when you take them out of the oven, I mean really underdone- like not even remotely ready. Just trust me though, follow the steps and they'll come good and be wonderfully gooey in the middle.
• I think these are really the sort of bikkies that need eating fresh and warm. They will keep for longer of course but the most yums will be had then.

Makes around 24

You will need

a large baking sheet, lined

250g soft butter

150g caster sugar

10g cocoa powder

30g Ovaltine

300g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

• Preheat the oven to 170 °c.
• Right...now cream the butter and sugar together with an electric hand whisk until light and whipped.
• Now beat in the rest of the ingredients and you should have a firm but fairly sticky dough.
• No need to get out the rolling pin or anything, just tear off blobs, about the size of a walnut, and roll into a ball in your hands.
• Press each ball onto the baking sheet so it's flattened a little, leaving a good gap for expansion between each one.
• Bake for 15 minutes, they will look like they need longer but just go with it.
• Leave to cool on the hot baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Put the kettle on, give me a ring and lets have a hug.