Soetkoekies

150 grams of butter ( room temperature )
1 cup of caster sugar
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 teaspoon of ground mixed spice
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 a teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
3 cups of cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of red bole powder (available at pharmacies) or 1/2 a teaspoon of red food colouring
peanuts, halved for decoration
(Makes 50)

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Cream the butter for a minute or so , add the sugar and oil and mix till light and fluffy . This will take about 2 minutes . Stir in the spices and eggs, mixing well. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and mix to form a dough. Mix the red bole with a third of the dough. Roll out the remaining two-thirds on a lightly floured surface and dot with pieces of the red bole dough. Roll out to 5 mm thick and cut out heart shaped biscuits with a cookie cutter. Press half a peanut in the centre of each biscuit. Place the biscuits on a greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes . And it's that easy .

Tip - the older recipe asks for 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 a teaspoon of cream of tarter . In essence the two combined are actually - baking powder . So I add instead 1 teaspoon of baking powder .

Delicious .