Cheese, biscuits, records and a birthday. A good day.

I love birthdays and I love December so December birthdays are absolutely my most favourite (after my own of course). Both my sister and Rich are December babies so it's triple the food, fun and presents this month whoppie! Today is Rich's so he's taking a half day off work this afternoon and we're going to head down to a new vinyl and coffee shop that's opened on Mill Road. It's the first of it's kind in Cambridge, the only vinyls you can buy here (apart from in Fopp and HMV) are from the market so having a real life record shop that also sells lots of tea and cake can only be a truly wonderful thing. We're excited. We're also heading out to Midsummer House this evening for a birthday tea. It's a 5 courser set in a little house on Midsummer Common and the food is supposed to be really quite fancy. I can't wait.

Because it's only the two of us today we thought a full on cake this evening, after a 5 course meal may be a little indulgent (and also we would definitely eat it all by Friday, which is not ideal) so we're saving the Hummingbird Mississippi Mudpie cake until our party on Saturday (I think it's going to take me most of Friday to make). However, it is a birthday and what's a birthday without a cake of some description? I've opted, as a surprise to go for some blue cheese and savoury biscuits. When I started the baking thing he said he was waiting for me to get to the savoury biscuits, and he loves cheese so I thought why not create a cheese and biscuit cake of sorts. 

I couldn't find spelt flour anywhere so went with wholewheat so they don't have the same nutty taste as Spelt biscuits would but they are tasty. They have a wholesome flavour and would be smashing with some blue cheese and a dollop of chutney. (This is also counting as today's advent recipe. A bit of savoury in there can be a lovely little addition).

I followed this recipe from the Guardian making a few little changes

Oat and Seed Biscuits

250g wholewheat flour, plus a little extra for rolling

25g dark brown sugar

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

125g unsalted butter, softened

75g rolled oats

50ml cold milk, plus extra to finish

2tbsp golden linseeds

2tbsp pumpkin seeds

Pop the flour, sugar, bicarb and salt in a bowl, and rub in the butter. 

Stir in the oats, then mix in the milk until you have a smooth dough. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough till about the thickness of a pound coin and cut using circular cookie cutter. Place them on a tray lined with baking paper. 

Brush with milk and bake at 170C for about 25-30 minutes, until crisp.

These are perfect for a homemade Christmas present, as an after dinner treat with friends or in front of Love Actually, wrapped up in a cosy blanket with a glass of mulled wine.