I love visiting my parents because the larder is stocked and the kitchen full of all the gadgets I desire but don't possess...plus my lovely family (of which none are food-fussy) are always willing to taste the results...JOY! Today the rain was pouring down and the misty grey clouds seemed to be stuck overhead ....I find the best emotional juxtaposition to that kind of weather is procured by baking! The oven warms the house and the smell of anything al forno never fails to put a smile on my face. For biscuits I usually turn to a recipe I adapted from Nigel Slater.... if you are without a food processor you can use icing sugar instead of granulated, as the creaming of butter & sugar by hand is something which probably only happens in labour camps....

Cream 170g butter w. 100g golden caster sugar/ icing sugar
Add 180g plain flour sieved & 60g ground almonds

That's the basic dough recipe, today mine were the first two options below, but you can add any of the following or whatever your imagination dreams up...In terms of quantities you can taste the dough as you add because there's no raw egg....

Dark chocolate chunks & orange zest
Dark chocolate chunks & ginger (crystallised & powdered)
Dark chocolate chunks & toasted hazelnuts
Dried lavender & orange zest

Brush with egg yolk & bake on greaseproof paper @160C/gas 3 for 20/25 mins ...enjoy warm or when cooled with fresh coffee or a nice cuppa builders tea, while watching the link below......!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-PkQRh3QXA THE LEGEND THAT IS THE COOKIE MONSTER.........in Cookie Monster auditions for Saturday Night Live