The Simple Things - 04.2020

EATING WELL

These biscuits are not named

after the Scottish town, but after

Dr John Abernethy who asked his

local bakery to add caraway seeds

and sugar to their plain biscuits.

Abernethy biscuits were considered

‘digestive’ biscuits, because the

caraway seeds were thought to

aid digestion. As fennel seeds

have similar properties, I have

substituted them in these biscuits.

Makes 30

225g plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

90g salted butter

90g caster sugar

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 egg, beaten

1 Preheat your oven to 190C/

Fan170C/Gas 5.

2 Sift together the flour and

the baking powder then rub

in the butter until the mixture

resembles breadcrumbs.

3 Mix in the sugar and the fennel

seeds, then tip in the egg and bring

everything together into a dough,

kneading briefly, using a little

water too, but only if you need to.

4 On a floured worktop, roll the

dough out to 2cm thick and cut it

into rounds. Bake for 12 mins until

the biscuits are lightly golden, then

cool completely on a wire rack

before eating (with a cup of tea).

Fennel Abernethy

biscuits

»

Blanc Mange

with poached

strawberries

Apart from the direction to soak the

gelatine for two hours (gelatine has

come along a bit since 1858), I was

almost entirely faithful to this recipe.

Bay leaves are one of my favourite

flavours for sweet dishes, offering a

gentle tea-like spiciness – and I was

delighted to see that Ellen felt the

same. It is interesting that in the

book it’s written as Blanc Mange,

rather than blancmange, which

means white dish. The poached

strawberries are my own addition.

Serves 6

150ml full fat milk

600ml cream

4 bay leaves

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

2 tbsp brandy

5 gelatine sheets soaked in cold

water for 5 mins

350g strawberries

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 Put the milk and cream into a pan

with the bay leaves and bring almost

to the boil. Remove from the heat,

add the sugar and stir to dissolve.

Leave to infuse for 30 mins.

2 Remove the bay leaves and add

the brandy, then set back onto a

gentle heat. When the mixture is

just warm, add the drained gelatine

sheets. They should quickly dissolve.

3 Pour into six individual ramekins or

a jelly mould. Leave to cool and then

set in the fridge for at least 5 hrs.

4 Top and quarter the strawberries

and put into a saucepan over a low

heat with the lemon juice and sugar.

Once the sugar has dissolved and the

strawberries are running with juice,

remove from the heat and let cool.

5 To turn out the jelly mould, dip

it into a basin of very hot water

for 30 secs or so. Turn out onto

a plate and spoon over the cooled

strawberries. If serving in ramekins

serve them straight from the

fridge with a couple of spoonfuls

of the strawberries on top.

Thesebiscuitsarenotnamed
after theScottishtown,butafter
DrJohnAbernethywhoaskedhis
localbakery to addcarawayseeds
andsugarto theirplainbiscuits.
Abernethybiscuitswereconsidered
‘digestive’biscuits,becausethe
carawayseedswerethoughtto
aiddigestion.Asfennelseeds
havesimilarproperties, I have
substitutedthemin thesebiscuits.

Makes 30
225gplainflour
½ tspbakingpowder
90gsaltedbutter

90gcastersugar

1 tspfennelseeds

1 egg,beaten

1 Preheatyourovento 190C/

Fan170C/Gas5.

2 Sifttogethertheflourand

thebakingpowderthenrub

in thebutteruntilthemixture

resemblesbreadcrumbs.

3 Mixin thesugarandthefennel

seeds,thentipin theeggandbring

everythingtogetherintoa dough,

kneadingbriefly,usinga little

watertoo,butonlyif youneedto.

4 Ona flouredworktop, rollthe

doughoutto 2cmthickandcutit

intorounds.Bakefor12 minsuntil

thebiscuitsarelightlygolden,then

coolcompletelyona wirerack

beforeeating(witha cupof tea).

FennelAbernethy

biscuits

»

Blanc Mange

with poached

strawberries

Apart from the direction to soak the
gelatine for two hours (gelatine has
come along a bit since 1858), I was
almost entirely faithful to this recipe.
Bay leaves are one of my favourite
flavours for sweet dishes, offering a
gentle tea-like spiciness – and I was
delighted to see that Ellen felt the
same. It is interesting that in the
book it’s written as Blanc Mange,
rather than blancmange, which
means white dish. The poached
strawberries are my own addition.

Serves 6
150ml full fat milk
600ml cream
4 bay leaves
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tbsp brandy
5 gelatine sheets soaked in cold
water for 5 mins
350g strawberries

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 Put the milk and cream into a pan

with the bay leaves and bring almost

to the boil. Remove from the heat,

add the sugar and stir to dissolve.

Leave to infuse for 30 mins.

2 Remove the bay leaves and add

the brandy, then set back onto a

gentle heat. When the mixture is

just warm, add the drained gelatine

sheets. They should quickly dissolve.

3 Pour into six individual ramekins or

a jelly mould. Leave to cool and then

set in the fridge for at least 5 hrs.

4 Top and quarter the strawberries

and put into a saucepan over a low

heat with the lemon juice and sugar.

Once the sugar has dissolved and the

strawberries are running with juice,

remove from the heat and let cool.

5 To turn out the jelly mould, dip

it into a basin of very hot water

for 30 secs or so. Turn out onto

a plate and spoon over the cooled

strawberries. If serving in ramekins

serve them straight from the

fridge with a couple of spoonfuls

of the strawberries on top.