Round confectionery such as bundt cakes, layer cakes, doughnuts, biscuits and cookies are believed to bring good luck on New Year. The key is the round shape, as they are believed to bring a full circle of luck in the New Year. These are really good and can be used as New Year gifts to share the luck with your friends and family. I used Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice) as the flavouring along with Cheddar cheese and nuts. For the Shichimi togarashi, dried and ground South African naartjie peels work very well. Nori are the seaweed sheets used to make sushi; now widely available everywhere.
70/25/40-50
Ingredients:
For the Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice)
2 tbsp ground chilli, such as ichimi togarashi or cayenne pepper (or substitute your favourite)
1 tbsp dried tangerine peel, rendered to a powder
1 tbsp white sesame seeds and/or black sesame seeds
1 tsp hemp seeds and/or poppyseeds
1 tsp ground sansho peppercorns or Sichuan peppercorns
1 tsp nori flakes (cut from about ½ sheet nori, or sold as anori)
¼ tsp ground ginger
For the Biscuits:
175g (7/8 cup) unsalted butter, softened
175g (2 cups) Cheddar cheese, chopped or grated
2 tsp Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice)
175g (1 ½ cups) Plain flour
3/4tsp Sea Salt
2 tbsp Ice-cold milk (or water)
150g (1 cup) Nut of your choice (I used hazelnuts)
Method:
For the Japanese seven-spice, simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Spoon into an air-tight jar, secure the lid and store in a cool, dark, place.
For the biscuits, mix together flour, seven-spice mix, and salt. Whisk gently to combine.
Combine the butter, cheddar cheese and flour mixture into the bowl of a food processor, then pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add milk (or water) and pulse until smooth, then take the dough out of the bowl of the food processor and stir in the nuts.
Spoon half of the dough onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper and roll it up into a cylinder about 4cm (1 ¾ in) thick by 20-25cm (4-6 in) long; repeat with the remaining dough on a second sheet. Transfer to the freezer and freeze until firm (at least 60 minutes).
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (160C fan/360F/Gas mark 4). When the dough is firm, unwrap and cut into 1cm (2/5 in) thick slices. Arrange these on a lined baking tray, ensuring there is enough space between them to spread during cooking.
Transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
