Nan Khatai Biscuits with Garam Masala + Clementine

Ingredients:2 cups spelt flour or gluten free flour1/2 cup semolina1 cup ground almonds1 cup caster sugar227 g unsalted cool butter cut into pieces2 tsp ground cinnamon and star aniseless than 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of sodaa pinch of saltzest of 2-3 clementinesMakes about 12-15 biscuits and takes half an hour to prepare and bake

Where do the weekends go? I wish I knew. Come Sunday and I am so exhausted that I want it to be Friday again and the thought of braving the Tube for another 5 days of commuting into the City tires me out  further  - Why is it that the days dragged so well in Pakistan? Long, hot and tiring days some how left us refreshed enough to face an evening of social engagements. But here the long, deary tube ride and combating four seasons in a day leave you somewhat worse for wear...It's cold out and I crave Mummy's Bournville cocoa hot milk with some insatiable 'nankhatai' biscuits- their crumbly, crunchy and undefinable texture comes from it's eggless recipe and the addition of almond - and of course the humble semolina, the ultimate comfort grain. You could buy these in the bakeries in Karachi - you'd come home with these soft crumbly white discs of nuttiness wrapped in brown paper bags, with anticipation of dipping them in hot chai and curling up on the sofa watching an episode of some Urdu tv drama serial......the day would feel as if it only just started.As for this recipe, I should say that if you not of a Christmasy disposition, you can always revert to the authentic Parsi recipe that calls for pistachios and crushed cardamoms but since it's Christmas and the the twinkle of the lights on the tree are making me feel rather 'seasonal', I substituted the original recipe with  some festive spice and clementines - the zest of these  oozes Christmas in every breath and the room is filled with a  tangy Christmasy aroma.Method:1. Preheat oven to 190 deg C. With a hand held mixer blend the butter with sugar until light and fluffy.2. Shift the dry ingredients and spices together and then slowly add them to the butter mixture until completely mixed - this is best done by a spatula until it gets hard, when you can go in with your hand and give it a good old knead.3. Grate the clementines over the mixtures and mix in and form small balls with hands and flatten into the shape of biscuits.5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until light brown and take out and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve with hot cocoa of doothpatti chai.