Chalet Biscuits

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My Mom likes to call these biscuits "every spice we've got chucked in biscuits". Which is not entirely true. I left out the smoked paprika. And the cumin. But I did put just about everything else in... oh no wait.... I left out the ground coriander as well. 

Like the Apfeltorte, these biscuits aren't really a breakfast food. But they are definitely a morning food. In the books they seem to have biscuits every day- ' go get you're milk and biscuit' for morning break. It doesn't ever elaborate on what type of biscuits they are- they just exist and go with milk. (these ones are very good with almond milk) I'm only assuming that they are a sweet biscuit as opposed to a cracker (like you would have with cheese). I decided to go with the spiced biscuits as they just seemed... right. I mean- the biscuits talked about in the books would have almost certainly been plain- but when I think of Austria- I think of snowy mountains and warming spices around log fires- so that's what I went with. Not really Christmassy- although they would work very well during Christmas- but just spiced. Veg curry uses lot's of spices- but no one says that's a Christmas only food - right? 

But although they aren't really breakfast as such... I've decided that basically anything that can be eaten in the morning can count as a breakfast food. That's totally okay- right? Also- I had vegan pepperoni and cashew cheese mini bagels for breakfast this morning- which means that pretty much anything can count as breakfast in my house. Especially as I licked the spoon from warming up leftover sweet and sour for lunch as I are breakfast (it was going in my Thermos flask). 

Also- I've been known (quite regularly) to have one of these biscuits whilst I was waiting for my breakfast (if that was waiting for oatmeal to cook, a smoothie to blend, fruit to be washed and chopped etc...) so they really are the ultimate breakfast food- as they are quite often what I will have before anything else!

So, these are my Chalet biscuits, enjoy with some hot milk, milky coffee or hot chocolate....

Chalet Biscuits

These were adapted from Jennifer McCann's Fish Crackers from her book 'Vegan Lunch Box Around the World'

I'm not entirely sure how many biscuits that these make- I usually make as many as will fit on one tray and then stop - the dough probably makes about 24 at a guess though

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/3 cup fine wholewheat flour (wholewheat pastry flour) 
• 3/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon*
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger*
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom*
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves*
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice*
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or vegan margarine, or oil cooled till it is solid)
• 1/4 cup really cold water
• 1/2 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. 
• Oil Spray
• Sprinkle of sugar

*can be replaced with 1 1/4 teaspoons of a mixed spice blend (e.g. pumpkin pie spice)

• Preheat the oven to 190C and line or grease a baking tray
• Combine all ingredients to sugar well
• Rub in the coconut oil (or alternative) till the mixture looks like breadcrumbs
• Combine the apple cider vinegar and water
• Slowly add the liquid to the bowl with the flour/oil mixture mixing with your hands to form a dough
• Roll out the dough to about 1/8", and cut into 2-3" circles
• Place the biscuits on the baking sheet, spray with oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar for each biscuit
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes- until the biscuits are a light golden color
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool