Sugar & Spice

The large red spotted baking tin that holds our Christmas Cake keeps winking at me and tempting me to cut into it - probably mainly due to our other baking tins being empty this last week. I love a wee sweetie with a cup of tea! The 'sensible Susan' in me thinks - 'no, it's nearly Christmas and all that extra eating, it won't hurt us to do without for now'.
However, making my Christmas cake has inspired me and launched me into some other Christmas-y baking.

I haven't cut the cake yet but I have made some Belgian Biscuits - they seem a bit special and Christmas-y to me. Especially the spicy-ness of them. They are quite a delicate operation but I managed it just fine by following Alexa Johnston's very clear instructions in her baking cook book "Ladies, a Plate - Traditional Home Baking". She chooses a version of the biscuits from a 1945 Women's Institute Home Cookery Book owned by her mother. They are very tasty, I love the combination of sweet & spicy, the tarty jam & the lemon in the icing... yum!

It's a real treat for us to have something in the tins again and something to share with our friends. I have popped some on a plate with a wee card to drop off to a friend of mine on our way to the gym - we need exercise after sampling the Belgian Biscuits for our afternoon tea!
I won't write out the recipe - instead I hope you will at least look at Alexa's book I've mentioned or her new one called "Second Helping". Both great books! Check them out HERE

By the way the large, spotted tin was $12.50 from the Warehouse. The pink pure linen cloth is a vintage number my Mum picked up for me at a market as an un-opened 'boxed set' - there are even serviettes to match.

The cups'n'saucers are French 'Limoge' porcelain with lovely silver work on the cups and iridescent, pearly ribbed saucers. A beautiful gift from our friends in France.