Ginger and Chilli Caramel Biscuits

I first baked these biscuits over four years ago, and I've never forgotten how amazing they were! I remember being fascinated by making caramel, and somehow frustrated that biscuits continue to cook after they're out of the oven. I must admit I've never been great at baking biscuits, so it's always something that I've stayed away from. It was only when I started working at a cafe and observing how they've been baked, that I decided to try my hand at baking biscuits at home again. The only downside of this recipe is that 15 biscuits do tend to disappear rather quickly, but until I gain more confidence with biscuits, I'll stick to this number for now. Feels like perfect timing to drizzle the caramel before it hardens anyway!

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100g golden caster sugar
1 egg
50g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
130g plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger

Chilli caramel
100g golden caster sugar
a pinch of ground cayenne pepper or hot chilli powder (or more if you like the heat!)

1-2 baking trays, lined with greaseproof paper

Makes about 15

Preheat oven to 160 deg C (325 deg F) Gas 3.

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well, then stir in the crystallized ginger. Mix the flour, baking powder and ground ginger in a separate bowl, then gently fold into the wet ingredients.

Take a generous teaspoon of the dough and place on one of the prepared baking trays. Flatten it slightly, then repeat this process with the remaining dough, spacing the dough balls well apart as they will spread when they are baking.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool while you make the chilli caramel.

To make the chilli caramel, put the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. The sugar can burn quite easily (which can render the caramel bitter), so stir it often and keep a close eye on it. After a few minutes, the sugar should have completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepper or chilli powder. Be very careful when handling caramel as it can easily burn you. Use it immediately before it starts to harden.

Using a spoon, drizzle the caramel over the biscuits any way you like. The caramel sets extremely quickly. When it has set, remove the biscuits from the tray. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, but be warned that the caramel can seep into the biscuits in particularly humid conditions.

Green Curry Paste

Having lived away from the city for almost two years now, it was always a dream to live a more organic life. It was only recently that I decided to cut down on buying pre-made pastes from the supermarket, and I had all the tools at home for it. The irony is that I got my handy kitchen gadgets during a time when I could afford them (in my corporate past life), but have found myself having the time to use them only now that I'm leading a simpler life.

Having said that, I do wonder why I'd never done this earlier. It is so easy to make your own curry pastes, it's any funny why most of us still continue to buy them pre-made. One may argue that you either just have time or money on you. I'd like to think I now prefer to spend my time instead of spending my money when doing something.

If you prefer more spice in your paste, keep the chilli seeds in as I did. Have fun!

1 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 lemon grass stalk, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 spring onions or 1 small red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons coriander roots or stems, chopped
3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
4 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons light flavoured oil

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the peppercorns, coriander and cumin seeds and toast for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Place the toasted spices and remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a paste.

Makes about 250g (1 cup)