Vanilla Orange Chocolate Biscuits

From Cakes

I've recently become addicted to home made biscuits. Especially mixed vanilla-orange and chocolate biscuits. They are quite easy to prepare, the difficulty lies in making them last!

Rub together (or use a blender) to create fine crumbs from:

• 250g plain flour
• 125g sugar
• 125g hard vegetable fat spread/butter
• 1/2 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 level teaspoon cream of tartar
• (alternative to soda and tartar - use 1.5 level teaspoons baking powder)

add

• an egg
• freshly grated orange rind
• a few drops of vanilla essence

Knead into a dough, it may be a bit soft at this stage.
Split the dough into two equal parts.
To one part add

• 20g Cocoa powder
• 15g sugar
• teaspoon of milk

Knead until well combined.
If the dough is still sticky, chill for a couple of hours.

The two doughs can then be rolled out independently to create separate white and dark biscuits, by rolling out to about 5mm thickness on a floured surface and cutting out shapes.

Alternatively, combine blocks of the two together to create a multicoloured roll and slice off discs of about 5mm.

Place the cut out shapes or discs on a greased tray and bake for 7 to 10 minutes  at 170 deg C, in a preheated oven.

The biscuits should have risen and become golden brown.

Take off the tray and allow to cool on a grid.

Then store the crisp biscuits in a tin.

Whenever you open the tin, the delicious scent of oranges and chocolate will tempt you to have a biscuit or two!