Friday favourites

Today's recipe is an old family favourite - Chocbit biscuits. The recipe came from a Fairy margarine promotion, published in the Sun newspaper some time in the 1960s. I used to make dozens of these biscuits to take on our annual beach holidays - though they never lasted the full three weeks! The recipe is as I found it, except for a reduction in the amount of sugar. And of course I never used margarine, always butter. I've always included the sultanas, but purists can omit them.

Chocbit biccies

Preheat oven to 190C, line biscuit trays with baking parchment.

Ingredients:
125g butter,
3/4 cup sugar,
2 eggs,
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 rounded cups
SR flour (10 1/2 oz or 330g)
1/2 cup sultanas, 3/4 cup Nestle chocbits

Method:
Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in sultanas and chocbits, lastly flour. Place level tablespoons of mixture on tray, and bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly coloured, turning trays around as necessary.

I'm adding a bonus recipe today, these were also a holiday favourite. Always popular with lovers of peanut butter, these are sooo good, crisp and crumbly when new baked.

Peanut butter biscuits
Preheat oven to 180c, line trays with baking parchment.

Ingredients:
125g butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tabs peanut butter (any kind -
I like crunchy)
1 egg, 1 heaped tablespoon coconut
large cup SR flour, 1/4 tsp salt.

Method:
Cream butter, sugar and peanut butter, beat in egg.
Stir in coconut and the flour, sifted with salt.
Roll into balls and flatten with a fork. Pace well apart on tray - they spread.
Bake until lightly coloured, watching carefully so they don't burn.

Last time I made these, I added 1/2 cup of sultanas, I think it was an improvement.

HINT: Most biscuit recipes allow a bit of tinkering; mixture too dry? add a little milk. Too sloppy? add a spoonful of flour.
But note: the amount of sugar in both of these recipes has been reduced a little - don't be tempted to cut it further. Sugar is a humectant, and a reasonable amount is needed to maintain the moisture level of baked goods. Just sayin'.