It’s ever so tiring to play the part of the
child prodigy for half a week and to dress up in rotation in all the differentbest versions of yourself that people
kindly plan on turning you into (it must be on the top 5 list of mankind’s charity
goals for 2015); especially when you have since the very start taken an oath to
not wear leggings as trousers in the outside world, thanks for trying, and the
only thing you can possibly share with Kim Kardashian is olaplex, because your
hairdresser Sam is a star like that.
In such cases, the recommended course of
action is as follows:
1) do pick one of these bragged-aboutbest-version onesies to try on, even if
it’s just in the fitting room. You’ll know which one you like best when it’s a smiley
one (and when someone sings a song and you can sing along cause you remember
the lyrics from your childhood);
2) partake in this special-child pantomime,
fine; but only if you are rewarded with couscous, sticks of rock, peanuts
and/or other types of valuable goods.
This point is least painful to follow if
there is some sort of vague evidence of you actually being all prodigious like
that – perhaps a metaphysical entity calledNinety-Nine
Jam Jars</em>; or just James;
which leads us to point number three:
3) keep writing humourous handover notes at
work, as someone may read them on the train home and secretly smile; speak
Italian; daydream about Canadian raw vegan restaurants and shoe shops between a
sales training PowerPoint slide and the next; jump on a bus to Hackney like the
old times just to get hold of a pack of peanut flour, to go join the other
forty-five types of flour you already have in your cupboard (this also means
you’re entitled to cake for dinner, and a decaf-almond-milk-latte-please, and
some puzzled looks from the barista); sip coffee in the park and talk about
dolphins whilst people dismantle the office; and bake. Bake some peanut pumpkin
cream sandwich biscuits, because you woke up one morning to find that autumn
was there, and got all inspired by a place you can’t wait to visit. They will
also provide you with all the energy you need to make your best prodigy child
impression. Tried and tested.
100g (1 cup) peanut flour
190g (1 ½ cups) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
140g (3/4 cup) coconut oil
70g (1/3 cup) pureed pumpkin
175g (3/4 cup) unrefined golden caster
sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut butter pumpkin cream filling:
140g (2/3 cup) pureed pumpkin
85g (1/3 cup) natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
25g (1/4 cup) peanut flour
¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice mix
Start by making the filling – mix together
pureed pumpkin, peanut butter and maple syrup in a bowl until combined and
smooth, then stir in the peanut flour and pumpkin spice mix. Transfer to the
fridge whilst you make the biscuits.
In a large bowl mix together flours and
salt and set aside. In a separate bowl cream together coconut oil, pureed
pumpkin, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add in the dry
ingredients a bit at a time, mixing each time until you get a nice smooth
dough. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
Next preheat the oven to 160°C
(320°F) and line two trays with baking paper. Roll out the chilled dough until
it’s 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter and place
on the trays. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, then transfer to a
cooling rack.
When completely cool, assemble the biscuits
– spread or pipe the cream filling evenly onto each biscuit, then sandwich
another one on top.
