In The Oh So Charming Kitchen - Wartime Chocolate Biscuits

It's finally here! I'd intended to write this before lunch, but then soup-making got me distracted (red pepper, tomato and kidney bean - yum).

I don't know what to call this feature... Suggestions on a postcard to: Jennie Charm, c/o Charming Towers, Charmsville - I wonder what the Post Office would do with that?

Anyways, I am getting awfully distracted again, today I have the attention span of a... Ooh, look, a fox!

I'm a firm believer in having something baked for the weekend, and in these "tough times", an economical recipe is just the ticket.

I've adjusted this recipe as the original just didn't work, and that's not fair when you're desperate for biscuits!
These make spongy biscuits, a little cakey even, but so simple, and so lovely with a cuppa.

Recipe:

2 oz Margarine
1 oz Cocoa
4 oz Plain Flour (plus extra for dusting)
2 oz Sugar (plus extra for dusting)
1 Tablespoon Golden Syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoon Milk
1/4 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Pre-heat your oven to about Gas Mark 6 (200 c), line some baking trays with baking parchment and dust a clean surface with flour.

Melt the margarine and golden syrup, turn off the heat then add in the other ingredients and stir until a glossy dough is formed. If it's too sticky, add more flour - Too dry and crumbly, add more milk.

Turn out onto your floured surface and roll out to about 1/2 cm thick and cut into rectangles (or squares, circles...) and place them onto your lined trays. Prick the tops with a fork and dust with a little sugar (optional).

Bake for about 15 minutes, until they are firm, but the tops are still a little springy.

Once cool, then can be sandwiched together with chocolate spread or jam, or maybe even a little whipped cream!

They can, of course, be eaten as they are. They make excellent dunkers.

I'm afraid I don't know how long they last in storage, as they're usually grabbed straight off the tray!

I hope you enjoy. I'll try and think of what to make for next week's installment... Ideas?

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, I had a plan, but it involves an early morning... We'll see!

I'm off to grab another biscuit before my tea's gone

Jennie xx

The Queen And The Daisy Clutch

Hello!

I'm taking a bit of a break from the knitting (ta very much), a 3 2 rib frazzles me brain somewhat, especially when I'm not concentrating...
I did finish the collar last night, and have made a good start on the front. Though I'll still need to order some more wool, but I will have a lovely new jumper for the Autumn, which will go with a multitude of skirts and slacks - Yipee!

Last week, Friday I think, I was wandering around town waiting for my lift home when I decided to pop into a usually overpriced charity shop and found this little number, which was promptly picked up and hurried over to the counter - Though I don't think there was too much of a riot to buy it!

Love at first sight... Yes, more tat! I won't repeat what Ma said when she saw it, no taste!

Then I popped over to a shop that sells a bit of vintage on occasion and it was heaving, but I  fought my way through and found a little basket filled with bags, mainly stuff which doesn't interest me (too modern) and found this beauty!

I know, I know, a Summer bag... It may be used one day!
Just look inside...

Oh, how in love am I?

That's about it for my finds, I have picked up a few DVDs cheap, but nothing exciting.

Anyway, break over, back to work!

Have yourself a lovely day

Jennie x

P.S. How do you like my temporary banner? I'll get round to making a proper one some day!

Two Balls More

A Sunday post? Why yes me dearies, I find myself with a weekend completely free following the confusion over the weather. Had we been expecting good weather, I would have been out today for sure, and possibly yesterday, but the fine weather rather caught me out!

So I've been sorting through my knitting, and rushing myself to finally get that middy jacket finished so I can wear it - But I ran out of wool (again), so I once again picked up a 1938 number which I last worked on last year.

I ran out of wool and so ordered two balls more, but they were a different shade. The shade I had been working with is no longer available. I'm on the second sleeve, I really don't want to un-run it all and start again with the new shade. So I started knitting with the new shade, just to see how noticeable it would be, I'll let the picture speak for itself!

Why's this come out on it's side? Bah, one of those days!

Do I go round with a "faded" sleeve or re-knit? There is also a collar to knit, my knitting advisers, this one's up to you!

On the subject of not enough wool, I also ran out of wool on a 1936 cardigan, again, on the second sleeve! So I'm just going to ask, does anybody happen to have two balls of Wendy Kintyre (aran) in green? The code on the wool sleeve is 161 6678

Although, if I'm going to ask for wool (which I would, of course, pay for), the original brown wool I was using was Patons Diploma Gold 4-ply, colour 04218 - Which is available, but in a lighter shade (as shown), the one I was using originally, has a reddish hue to it, and little flecks of chestnut running through it. It also goes much better with the orange I'm using for the motif.

In my defence, I did weight both lots of wool before I started knitting, but it still wasn't enough, sigh.
So, just to reassure me, do tell me you have also come across this "not enough wool" problem.

So that's my story for the day, I'm planning on a spot of baking later in the week, chocolate biscuits alright with you?

So I bid you a relaxing Sunday afternoon, and wish you well for the coming week. I do have some outings planned for next week, and their indoors, so no worries about the weather!

Pip-pip

Jennie x