There has been a distinct lack of activity on this blog over the past month or so, but in the meantime I got MARRIED! A lot of you will possibly be first time readers of the Nate British Bake Off, and you will have found your way here because of a recipe that we gave out on our wedding day along with a heart-shaped cookie cutter as our wedding favours.

So, welcome…

Anyway. This recipe was taken directly from The Hummingbird Bakery Home Sweet Home book, (a present from Amy & Dave – thanks guys) and should be perfect to use your new cookie cutter on.

Recipe:

280g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
380g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
60g ground almonds
200g seedless strawberry jam

Method:

Line a few baking trays with baking parchment. If you only have one, like us, you’ll have to bake in batches.

Weigh out your butter and sugar and using a hand-held or freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream them together until light and fluffy.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cinnamon and mix in the ground almonds.

Add the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and mix at a medium speed until a dough forms.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and bring it together with your hands. Divide the dough into two balls, flatten slightly, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes an hour.

Once the dough has rested, roll out each piece between same-sized sheets of baking parchment that have been lightly dusted in flour!.

I feel I should really specify how important it is to flour the baking parchment. If you neglect to do this, when the cookies are baked they break as you try to remove them…

So. When rolled out between the baking parchment, place each one on a chopping board and place in the fridge again for another hour at least.

When you are ready to bake these cookies, turn the oven 170c, take the dough out of the fridge and remove the top sheet of paper from each piece.

Using your heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking trays. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut the centres out of half of the cookies. Ideally it would be a heart-shaped hole but if you don’t have one then any cutter will do.

Bake for about 15 minutes and set aside to cool.

In a small pan, heat up the strawberry jam, bringing it to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Spoon about a teaspoon of jam onto each cookie bottom, then place a cookie top on each to create a sandwich.

A lovely light cookie, that has a slightly ‘rusk’ish texture. Liv also said it was her favourite and gave it a 9/10 which is nice. I can’t wait to see everyone’s attempts at baking these cookies! Good luck!

• Biscuits