‘A people’s relationship to their heritage is the same as the relationship of a child to its mother’
Every fourth of July, now that am based in the USA, as a Brit, I feel strangely patriotic. It is a time were Americans celebrate their independence from the English. Whilst I fully understand this, having a mixed heritage, having only known England, but having a bloodline and lineage that tracks back to India, I still feel a loyalty to the home I was born in and grew up in.
The stereotype of tea and biscuits is on point. A cup of tea will sort anything out. It will wake you up in the morning, calm you down in the afternoon and is great as a soothing medicine if you’ve had a bad day.
Biscuits too normally come served with tea. English shortbread, digestives and chocolate are the favorites but anything sweet and buttery will do.
So here is my ode to my English roots, the place I call home and that calls to me.
This is an easy recipe and I have adapted it to be gluten free and vegan and it makes little difference to the taste in my perspective.
Have one with tea or for breakfast as my Italian husband enjoys. Just make sure while you do, you think of England!
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 1 tsp water
Method
- Add the flour, salt and sugar to a bowl
- Chop up the butter and add in the vanilla
- Use a wooden spoon and mix till it comes together as a dough
- Bring together to form a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm
- When ready roll dough out onto a clean surface and cut into shapes
- Or roll into a log and cut into disks
- Arrange onto baking paper, 2 inches apart
- Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, rotating the tray half way through
- Once brown at the edges, remove from the oven and cool on a rack
