Lunchboxes...

Let's talk lunchboxes: it’s a novelty that wears off pretty quickly, isn’t it?

Especially when you’ve got to pack it every day during the week – kindy was a breeze compared to this full-time business.

I started off full of enthusiasm, packing with care and love and putting so much thought into what my darling big lad would want to eat during his day.

When the lunchbox continually returned partially full and my big lad came home ravenous to eat whatever I could throw at him, well, it kind of knocked the gleam off the whole experience.  

We had been packing strawberries for shared fruit, either some yoghurt or cheese and crackers, a wrap and some sort of homemade baked good (biscuit, muesli bar, cake, etc.).

It was the homemade baked good that I found was mostly returning uneaten, although he would happily devour it for afternoon tea.

Rather than continue the boomerang pattern, I decided to leave it out and just offer it to him when he got home and started chewing the leg off the chair.

I had been mindful of not sending anything with nuts, so these biscuits are perfect for the arvo tea treat at home – provided there’s no nut allergy of course! Substitute as you please.

This recipe is a cracker from Matthew Evans’ (the Gourmet Farmer), Summer on Fat Pig Farm cookbook and they remind me of the kiss biscuits my Mum and Nan used to make.

Don’t be tempted to eat them without the icing, something magical happens when they’re sandwiched with that bittersweet icing and it’s an experience you, ahem I mean the kids, need to try.

Hazelnut and Chocolate Kiss Biscuits

Ingredients

180g butter, softened

50 brown sugar

1 tablespoon espresso coffee (I left this out for the kiddies)

200g plain flour

50g cornflour

100g hazelnuts, roasted and crushed

Icing:

50g butter, softened

65g icing sugar

3 tablespoons pure cocoa powder

Method

Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Beat together the butter, sugar and coffee (if using) until pale and fluffy.

Add the flour, cornflour and hazelnuts and still with a wooden spoon until just combined.

If the mixture is too soft, pop it in the fridge for a little while to firm it up.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture to make about 20 even-sized balls, pressing them down with a form or your palm.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they start to brown on the bottom and start to colour on top.

Cool.

To make the icing, beat the butter and icing sugar together with the cocoa until smooth.

Spread on half the biscuits and sandwich together with the other halves.

Enjoy!