Perhaps it is an odd combination to write about however biscuits and goats are two of my favorites things for so many reasons.
Firstly, goats. Over the years we have had many pet rangeland (feral) goats. Most of them have found their way into our hearts when their parents have been sold. They make the most loyal, mischievous pets and each and every goat has a different personality.
They greet me at the clothesline every morning and are quick to chew on my boots or the washing basket and they love a pat and a scratch and of course a snack. Recently, for the first time, one of our grown up pets, Salty, had three perfect babies of her own and I couldn’t resist sharing some photos. We presume the father was a travelling man!
They were born in the paddock with absolutely no intervention from us. Watching them feeding and playing transports me away from the COVID situation, my sticky floors and home schooling commitments. The life of a goat is simple and straightforward. I look forward to watching this little family grow up.
And now biscuits. I was recently email chatting to Jess from Mudgee Biscotti and I commented to her that the reason I love her biscotti and this style of biscuit is that they are small, not too sweet, not sticky and not covered in chocolate, caramel, cream or anything else. They are just enough when you need something sweet with a morning coffee. Simple and perfect.
This conversation reminded me of this recipe that I have experimented with over the years. These biscuits are a little like biscotti but are not made in the traditional log style that you bake and slice. You could add more spice or more or less orange zest depending on your taste. You could also make them bigger but I like to keep them small. I like to use beautiful Mixed Spice from Gewurzhaus .
Before I leave you with the recipe I also wanted to let you know that I recently recorded a podcast for Life on the Land with the delightful Skye Manson. I was quite nervous but I was in good hands with Skye chatting about home, baking and other snippets of my life.
Happy Friday, friends x
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 125 g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150 g self raising flour, sifted
- 1 tsp mixed spice, sifted
- 50 g flaked almonds, chopped roughly
- Zest of 1 orange, chopped finely
-
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
-
Whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sugar until thick and pale.
-
Add the oil to the egg and sugar mixture. Sift in the flour and spice. Add the almonds and orange zest.
-
Combine until a dough forms.
-
Roll and press ½ tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Dust your hands lightly with some extra plain flour if the dough is too sticky. Arrange balls on the baking trays, flattening them slightly as you place them down.
-
Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. These biscuits become quite crisp so try not to over bake them.
-
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
Teagan Jane
I haven’t pondered your blog in aa while, Jane… thanks for the link to ‘Gewurzhaus ‘, I’ve never heard of them and I am about to buy a whole heap of blends.
Going to try your recipe but with coconut sugar and GF alternative.
Love your stories on the goats too.
Sending love,
Teags
Jane S
Gewurzhaus is absolutely beautiful Teagan. Lovely to hear from you x
Anne
Delicious sounding biscuits Jane – I like a plain biscuit or cake without a mountain of icing or chocolate. This year, I set myself the challenge to eat only home-made biscuits and to make a different sort each time. No idea why, but you know how these things happen. It’s been a very interesting exercise as I’ve discovered that we eat a lot fewer biscuits because there’s always a gap between finishing one batch and baking the next, unlike reaching for a new packet. Also, there are so many biscuit recipes that it’s been no problem finding a different one each time. And now I have a new recipe to try! Thank you.
Enjoyed the podcast – you sounded very relaxed. A x
Jane S
Thank you Anne, lovely to hear from you. I love your biscuit challenge! x
Jo@JoSimplyWill
Jane this post almost makes me feel guilty about my love of Goat Madras Curry……almost! Beautiful writing and photography as always, thank you.
Pan
I love your outback photos and recipes. Thanks so much for sharing.
Christine Campbell
Absolutely loved your goat tales! Thank you for sharing that delicious biscuit recipe, it’s now a family favorite. Any plans for a sourdough workshop in 2023?
Martin
Nice stories and great snaps. What camera do you user to take your vibrant pics? Thanks m 🙂