Birthday biscuits recipe

Photo: Birthday biscuits recipe

Need ideas for cooking with kids? The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen invites you to try Birthday biscuits Recipe. Have some fun with the kids in the kitchen and get them helping to make everything from muffins to main meals. 

These ring biscuits are perfect for parties and work well in any shape, get the kids to help.

Easy
Make 24
Easily doubled
Prep 30 mins
Cook 10 mins
Vegetarian

Ingredients

250g plain white flour
85g golden caster sugar
175g unsalted butter , at room temperature, cubed
2 tbsp lemon curd
250g white icing sugar
1 tbsp strawberry conserve (we used St Dalfour)

Method

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor. Whizz until the mixture forms crumbs, then pulse a little more until it forms a ball.
 
Spread a large sheet of baking parchment over the work surface and turn the dough onto it. Dust with a little flour, then roll out to about the thickness of two £1 coins. Stamp out 24 rounds using a 5cm round fluted cutter, then cut out the middles with the end of a piping nozzle. Carefully peel the rest of the mixture away from the stamped shapes. Lift onto baking sheets and bake for 10 mins until pale golden. Cool on a wire rack.
 
Put the lemon curd into a bowl with 2 tbsp boiling water and mix until smooth. Sieve in 175g of the icing sugar; stir together to make a smooth icing. Put the strawberry fruit spread in another bowl and add 2 tsp boiling water, mix, then sieve in the remaining icing sugar.
 
Spoon the lemon icing over the biscuits, then drizzle or pipe over the pinky icing. Leave to set for at least 20 mins. Will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight tin, longer if left un-iced.

Nutrition per serving

149 kcalories, protein 1g, carbohydrate 24g, fat 6 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 0g, sugar 16g, salt 0.01 g

Fruity lamb tagine recipe

Fruity lamb tagine recipe

Photo: Fruity lamb tagine recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Fruity lamb tagine Recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Fruity lamb tagine.

This succulent and super healthy one-pot is guaranteed to satisfy a crowd - save time and make it up to two days ahead.

Easy
Serves 4
Prep 15 mins
Cook 1 hr 30 mins
Freezable
Super healthy, Dairy-free

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
500g lean diced lamb
1 large onion , roughly chopped
2 large carrots , quartered lengthways and cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
2 tbsp ras-el-hanout spice mix (see tip, below)
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
200g dried apricots
600ml chicken stock

TO SERVE

120g pack pomegranate seeds
2 large handfuls coriander , roughly chopped

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a casserole and brown the lamb on all sides. Scoop the lamb out onto a plate, then add the onion and carrots and cook for 2-3 mins until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Stir in the spices and tomatoes, and season. Tip the lamb back in with the chickpeas and apricots. Pour over the stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover the dish and place in the oven for 1 hr.
If the lamb is still a little tough, give it 20 mins more until tender. When ready, leave it to rest so it's not piping hot, then serve scattered with pomegranate and herbs, with couscous or rice alongside.

Try

Spice mix

Ras el hanout, a North African spice mix, contains cardamom, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric and black pepper. Find it in larger supermarkets, or use a mix of the spices above.

497 kcalories, protein 40g, carbohydrate 46g, fat 18 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 12g, sugar 32g, salt 1.37 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2009.