Bachelors' buttons

I must confess to making these the weekend before last and not having the time to post about them. We had some old eggs that needed to be used up, so biscuits seemed to be the order of the day. I've been meaning to bake something from The Woman's Book for ages and was drawn to the name Bachelors' buttons - luckily we had all the ingredients in the cupboard and fridge.

Simple to make and moreish like you wouldn't believe!

Ingredients -
5oz flour
2oz caster sugar
2oz butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170C (a.k.a. 'a good oven')
Cream the butter and sugar together, and add the vanilla.
Beat the egg and add gradually with the flour until a stiffish paste is formed. No need to add the entire egg unless necessary.
Take small portions and roll them into balls the 'size of hazel nut' with a little flour to prevent them sticking to the hands
Pop them on a greased and floured tin. Just before sticking in the oven sprinkle them with sugar
Bake until golden - about 12-15 minutes
Place on a rack to cool
Make a lovely cup of coffee to go with the first ones to cool...

They are part shortbread bite and part dry sponge finger - that is selling them rather short, they are very tasty indeed. Enjoy!