Bonjour!

I often edit my photos while watching TV at night which means Will is subjected to the odd, which one is better, this one or this one, as I flash between the two. While editing last week I started giggling like a little kid which usually means I’ve found something ‘funny’ that will get a loving eye roll.

‘It looks like a little French man wearing a beret don’t you think?’

‘Yeah I guess’ (shaking his head with loving eye roll). What do you think? Can you see the little French man hiding in amongst the biscuits?

Almond biscuits originally, this recipe looked like it could do with a touch of spring and after a quick glance at my fruit bowl I had the perfect idea – oranges. After all, orange and almonds do get along rather nicely.

Adding a crunchy roasted almond on top was like adding the stem/pompom to a beret – I just don’t think they would have been complete without them. I whipped the delicious, crunchy, but softer-in-the-middle biscuits up in about 30 minutes one afternoon. Make them and tell me if they unleash a little French in you too.

Start by beating the butter, sugar and orange zest together until they are nice and smooth and creamy.

Scrape down the sides (I really must get the scraper attachment) and then add the egg and mix it through well.

Sprinkle in the rest of the ingredients and keep mixing until it all comes together into a dough.

Using a heaped teaspoon of dough at a time, roll it into little balls and place them on lined oven trays leaving about 3 cm between each one. Once you’ve pressed them down a little they don’t spread too much.

Gently press down the top of each one and then press an almond into it. Make sure you press it in a bit because if you just sit it in top it might fall off later.

Bake them at 175C fan-forced for 12-15 minutes.

Leave the baked biccies to rest on their trays for 5 minutes.

Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Try not to pinch one at this stage. They’re better once they’re cool and the almond has hardened up again.

Then it’s time to play with your food.

See how many biscuits you can balance on top of an orange. Enjoy!

What about you? Do you see things in your food (like how people see faces in toast) or is it just food?

 

Orange and almond biscuits

Yield: 30

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Ingredients

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 30 roasted almonds

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175C fan-forced and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and zest together until light and creamy.
3. Scrape the sides and add the egg and almond extract and beat them through.
4. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until the dough comes together.
5. Roll heaped teaspoon-sized pieces of dough into balls and place on the lined trays leaving a few centimeters between each one.
6. Use your fingertips to gently press down the top of each dough ball and then press an almond on top.
7. Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes or until they start to turn golden.
8. Leave them to sit on the trays for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.