The Four of Wands, Three of Cups and Six of Wands are all celebration cards. When you draw these cards think of novel ways to celebrate something. One way is to bake some Matilda biscuits with love, pop them in a tin and give them to a Matilda you admire to savour with a cup of tea or coffee.
Australian women used to bake Anzacs and send them in care packages sent to the home front during World War 1. Their recipe evolved from the availability of staple ingredients that would last the journey without spoiling. The essentials are rolled oats and flour. Traditionally the recipe used golden syrup which gives the biscuits their sweet and chewy texture and desiccated coconut was added in some circles for extra calories and flavour.
Matilda biscuits make the perfect treat for a woman who is a positive influence in your life. Celebrate your connection! Gather the ingredients and get baking.
Photos by Pam Hayward
Pam Hayward will tell you that baking is her happy place. How about following @pamela_hayward lead and honour your favourite ’tildas by baking some biscuits as created by Jill Dupleix and gifting them?
MATILDA BISCUITS as appears on Jill Dupleix site
Pam Hayward suggests adding a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon with salt on top of these gems. And she says that for a crisper biscuit add a minute to the baking time.
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Half tsp mixed spice
- Good pinch of sea salt
- 125 g brown sugar
- 125 g butter, chopped
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 scant tsp bicarbonate of soda
Heat oven to 180C.
Sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and sea salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle.
Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan, stirring, until sugar has melted.
Remove from the heat, count 60 seconds, then and add bicarb, stirring as it froths up.
Pour the hot mixture into the flour, and bring it together with a spatula until there are no streaks of flour.
Use a teaspoon to scoop up a portion of dough, and roll into a ball in your hands. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, allowing a little room for spreading.
Press down lightly to flatten (see tip).
Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until golden.
Cool on a wire rack, before storing in an airtight container. Makes 25 (x 20g).
Waltzing With Matilda's 