Not sure what to rant/ write about this week. Still in our housing limbo but other than that I guess I’m alright this week.

With regard to the recipe itself, I’m still on a ‘using up what’s in the cupboard’ buzz. Tom found marzipan in the cupboard he wasn’t meant to be in. So that was the start. Fancied an old biscuit so that was the second. Hadn’t patience or that many eggs so that was that.

Googling ‘marzipan cookie’ I found a recipe from a blog unknown to me ‘my kitchen in the Rockies’. What a cheerful name. I’ve always liked the ideas of visiting the Rockies at some stage in my life (I haven’t filled in the details yet). For now cookies from there shall do with only a few minor Dublin alterations.

It’s a super simple recipe and a good way to use up the marzipan you forgot about over Christmas. They aren’t swanky but they are a good solid biscuit with a pleasing almondiness. I might try them with a few ground almonds some day. I’ll let you know if they’re an improvement.

It makes a generous 30.

Oven temperature 180 Celsius

Plain flour               250g

Butter                        150g

Marzipan                  150g

Light muscavado   50g

Egg yolk                     1

Vanilla extract         1 teaspoon

Pinch of salt

Put all of the ingredients into a big mixing bowl (dice the marzipan as you add it in) and beat to combine. You’ll want to start off slow so you don’t throw marzipan all over the gaff.

Once beaten into a smooth dough cut a large piece of clingfilm and lay it onto the work surface.

Tip the dough onto it and roll it into a long sausage shape.

Wrap it up in the clingfilm like a christmas cracker – I have no idea why I’ve said christmas twice already, apologies.

Put it on a chopping board or some other flat, movable object and then into the fridge to chill for 30mins or until firm.

10mins before the dough has finished chilling preheat your oven and line two baking trays.

Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap as much as you want to use. I used half to make 15 biscuits and then put the rest, uncut, back in the fridge for a later date. I see no reason why you wouldn’t be able to freeze the dough either.

Anyway slice the sausage into 1cm slices and place them on the baking trays. I, being super fancy, used my lion stamper to make my biscuits look lovely but there’s no need to. A plain biscuit it beautiful too.

Pop the trays in the oven for 12mins, till the biscuits are pale to medium brown in colour.

That’s them made.