Chocolate Chip Shortbread Biscuits

The sun seems to have finally started to shine on the Emerald Isle and you couldn't be in a more beautiful place when it does. Plants are benefiting from it, the animals are enjoying basking in it and the children are doing what their summer childhood memories should be filled with; spending hours on end adventuring in the garden. To our hens, dog and cats, this summer has welcomed some kittens and also some beautiful ducks into our garden.

So rain or shine the children are outdoors and the garden has become a very exciting place for them to spend a few hours. I have wanted to keep ducks for some time, as we had a few when I was a child and I adored them. I had a pet drake that would follow me around as if he were a dog. I tell you there were many tears shed when late one evening Mr. Fox came for supper and all he left behind was a few feathers. I'm hoping my new family of ducks won't meet a similar fate and will be as lucky as our hens, living happily into their old age.

The sun is always most welcome by any parent, as keeping young ones amused indoors for days on end can become an ever difficult task. When time allows I pull out some ingredients, a few bowls, rolling pins and biscuit cutters and let the kids fire away with a little bit of baking. Biscuit making is always a good one, for little hands, as similar to play doh they will shape and re-shape the dough many times, keeping them happy and amused for a very long time indeed. Yes, there will be flour all over the counter-top and floor, but after a certain man in a red suit introduced us to marvellous moon sand last Christmas, I don't think I could ever complain about flour explosions again. A quick brush and a wet cloth sees everywhere clean and is certainly easier to manage than play doh or sand. 

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Biscuits
This is a basic shortbread biscuit recipe from Rachel Allen's Favourite Food and I've just added some chocolate chips. These are quite delicious and even though the less handled the better, these seem to hold up pretty well to lots of sculpting.  

Ingredients

• 170g (6oz) white flour
• 110g (4oz) butter
• 55g (2oz) caster sugar
• 25g chocolate chips

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C(fan)/390°F/gas mark 6.
2. Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, rub in the butter. Add the chocolate chips
3. Gather the mixture together and knead lightly. Roll out to about 8mm thick. Cut into shapes using a biscuit cutter. 
4. Bake in the oven until golden or pale brown, 8– 12 minutes- depending on their thickness. 
5. Remove, cool on a rack and serve with a big glass of milk.

Enjoy!