Dear Sam,
I’m certainly looking forward to Spring, too. Although it hasn’t been anywhere near as cold here in Wales as it has your part of the US, we’ve had plenty of dark, miserable days. It was fascinating to read about all the different things that daffodils can symbolise; I hadn’t heard of the Welsh legend that being the quickest to spot one in flower brings a year of gold, but it certainly cheers me up when I see the first ones blooming. As you can imagine, we go all out for planting them in Wales and I agree with Wordsworth that en-masse they are quite a sight, although he put it rather better than that!
I wanted to talk to you today about something else that can bring light into a gloomy day – someone being kind. I think it’s great timing that Random Acts of Kindness Week is in February, starting on Sunday 11th, to be exact. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has lots of great ideas for things to do, including some ways to be kind to oneself, which is also important in the depths of winter.
One of the nicest things I think someone can do for another is to cook something, so I thought I’d share a really quick and easy recipe for some gingerbread biscuits (cookies). These are also foolproof and popular if you have to contribute to a bake sale or cake stall.
Gingerbread Biscuits
Ingredients
UK
125g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
1 medium egg, beaten
300g plain flour
5 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
US
4oz or 1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
1 medium egg, beaten
2 1/4 cups plain flour
5 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas mark 4.
Grease a baking tray or line with baking paper.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until they are fluffy and light in colour. Beat in the egg and the syrup. Mix together thoroughly.
Sift the ground ginger, bicarbonate/baking soda and flour into the bowl. Mix into a smooth dough, adding little more flour if very sticky. Wrap in cling film/plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1cm/ 1/2inch and cut out with a pastry cutter. (It’s fun to theme the cutter to the person or occasion. I have one in the shape of Jane Austen’s silhouette, which is great for book clubs or well-read friends!)
Transfer the biscuits to the baking tray, with some space in between as they will spread in the oven.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until they are golden brown in colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack.
If required, you can decorate the biscuits with fondant or writing icing. Present them in an airtight box or bag to keep them fresh.
Inspired by your sunny daffodils, I looked into the meanings of flowers and discovered that, in Japan, cherry blossom symbolises kindness. No other excuse needed to top this post with a picture that I hope will help brighten your day.
Much love,
Claire