things to make you happy

One of my all time favourite films is Stranger than Fiction. I cannot say enough good things about this movie.  It has it all: Emma Thompson (my long wished for undiscovered Aunt), Will Ferrell being wonderfully low-key, Dustin Hoffman being hilarious and Maggie Gyllenhaal playing the feisty owner of my dream bakery, The Uprising. I could go on...

Anyway, one of the nicest things about this movie is the reminder that life is about the little things:

As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. 

Ana Pascal: Did you like the cookies?
Harold Crick: Yes. Thank you for forcing me to eat them. 

Just thinking about this movie again made me want to make some biscuits, not that I generally need much encouragement, and so last night whilst K watched TV, I rolled up my sleeves and went into my bakery (aka the kitchen) and made these biscuits.  They weren't Bavarian Sugar Cookies I Know, but they were still pretty good.

Gingernut Biscuits

Adapted from: Homecooked, Favourite Recipes from Australian Kitchens 

185g unsalted butter, melted

4 cups all-purpose plain flour (you can use wholemeal if you prefer, or half half)

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tbspn ground ginger (the more gingery the better I feel)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup golden syrup 

1 egg

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F and grease two oven trays.

Sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Add the sugar, golden syrup, butter and egg. Scoop the mixture together to form a dough. 

Break off chunks of dough and with your hands, roll each biscuit into a small ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers.

Bake for about 10 minutes. The biscuits will be cracked on the top and soft inside. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. They will harden up as they cool.

You probably won't need to force yourself to eat them, you just will.