Magical Biscuit Bars

I baked a batch of magical biscuit bars today. I tasted a bit before putting them up and they were delicious. These easy-to-fix biscuit bars are always a big hit and they tend to magically disappear; so be sure to hide a few for yourself.

To see how to make these easy-to-fix biscuit bars, visit my article at http://kitchen.secretcorners.net/2010/12/10/magical-biscuit-bars

Holiday Fruitcake

I baked my annual holiday fruitcake. This year I decided to return to using a tube pan instead of the loaf pans. The trouble with the loaf pans is that it is too easy to overcook the fruitcake and have it dry.

For the ingredients and directions on baking a holiday fruitcake, please visit my fruitcake article at this link: http://kitchen.secretcorners.net/2010/12/16/holiday-fruitcake

I need to get started on some holiday baking. One favourite that will always quickly disappear is peanut butter biscuits (cookies). Peanut butter biscuits are so easy to make; I like to place a few peanuts on top for decoration and to add a bit of a crunch. Chocolate chips added to the top would also be a wonderful addition.

Peanut Butter Biscuits (Cookies)

Ingredients

• 250 ml (1 cup) coconut oil (unsaturated)
• 250 ml (1 cup) peanut butter
• 375 ml (1 1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar (for a sweeter biscuit, add more brown sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 625 ml (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour (self-rising flour can be used; just leave out the baking powder
• 10 ml (2 teaspoon) baking powder

Directions

1. Cream together coconut oil, peanut butter and brown sugar.
2. Add eggs and beat until well blended.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add flour to the oil/peanut butter/brown sugar/eggs mixture stirring and adding in batches until your batter comes together to form the biscuit dough. You can also do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook.
4. Once you have formed the biscuit dough, place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Roll the biscuit dough into balls; the larger the ball, the larger your finished biscuit will be, and place on a baking sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Add any toppings such as peanuts or chocolate chips. Bake in a preheated 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 oven for about 10 minutes or until biscuits begin to brown. For a crispier biscuit, bake a bit longer; remember that all ovens are different so you may need to do a test batch.

These are a wonderful treat to have during the holidays. You may need to bake a batch and hide them so you can have some for yourself as they tend to go fast.