Yes, I have a paper to write and therefore I am baking this chilly Monday evening. I also have a team meeting tomorrow afternoon and I have decided that as best I can, I will bake something for these regular Tuesday gatherings. I book a new recipe book a few weeks ago, Three ingredient baking by Sarah Rainey. The first recipe that caught my eye was one for hazelnut biscuits. Really simple to make and I whipped up a batch when I got home from work. They are sweet tasty and crunchy. And now I have to get back to work because the paper will not write itself.

Ingredients
200g whole hazelnuts, skin on
3 egg whites
175 caster sugar

Methods

Preheat the oven to 195oC/175oC fan

Tip the hazelnuts on to a baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they’re brown. Allow the nuts to cool, then tip them into a food processor. Blitz until they resemble breadcrumbs.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then slowly stir in the sugar, a spoonful at a time, followed by the ground nuts. You should end up with a thick, crumbly paste.

Arrange heaped teaspoons of the mixture on two baking sheets lined with greaseproof paper, leaving around 3cm between.

Bake for 25 minutes or until just crisp, switching the trays halfway through. The biscuits should still be slightly soft inside – too well done and you risk breaking your teeth!