These neat little, melt-in-the-mouth treats are ideal with your mid-morning coffee or tea (or gin?)

Makes: 30 – 32

Time: 30 – 40 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

175g – 200g (6oz – 7oz ) self-raising flour
125g – 150g (4½oz – 5½oz ) oat meal or oat bran
45g (1½oz) ground almonds
Pinch of salt
75g (2½oz) unsalted butter
75g- 90g (2½oz – 3¼oz) caster sugar
60ml – 75ml (2oz – 2½oz) milk
1 tsp almond extract
30g (1oz) flaked almonds to decorate (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C / fan 160C / 350F / Gas 4. Lightly grease two or three large baking trays. (A few short sprays from a can of cooking spray will be fine.)

2. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add in the oatmeal or bran, the salt and the almonds. Stir and mix well.

3. Add the butter in small pieces, occasionally shaking the mixing bowl to coat and distribute the pieces. Rub in the butter to create a mixture like fine bread crumbs.

4. Stir in the sugar.

5. Measure out the milk into a cup or small jug and add the almond extract. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in enough milk to make a stiff dough.

6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together with minimal kneading. With floured hands, break off walnut sized pieces of dough and roll them into balls. (For more precision, weigh them. 18g per ball will give about 30 small biscuits.) Space them out on the trays and use the heel of a hand to lightly press them down slightly flatter. Add flaked almonds now, if desired.

7. Bake for about 12 – 18 minutes. Leave on the trays for five minutes then place on a wire rack to cool fully.

I hope you bake and enjoy these lovely little biscuits. If you want to see more recipes for biscuits and cookies click here. Or have a look at my site for other recipes.

Two that I’d especially recommend are:

Adaptable Oaty Biscuits