MasterChef winner takes the biscuit for Mary’s Meals!

Gary Maclean celebrates National Biscuit Day by asking people to support charity

This National Biscuit Day (29 May), celebrity chef Gary Maclean is calling on people to raise some dough by supporting the school feeding charity Mary’s Meals. 

Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to more than 2.4 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries – including Ethiopia, Syria and South Sudan. The promise of a daily meal attracts children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and hope for the future.  

Gary, winner of 2016’s MasterChef: The Professionals, is supporting the charity’s Raise Some Dough campaign which asks people to host a fundraising bake sale to help feed hungry children. 

He says: “Today may be National Biscuit Day but, like many people, I enjoy a biscuit all year round. 

“That’s why baking is such a great way to raise money for Mary’s Meals – and to put a smile on the face of not only your friends, family and colleagues, but also the hungry children who rely on this wonderful charity.” 

People across the UK can download a free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack from the charity’s website, which includes a book packed full of tasty biscuit recipes from some of the UK’s favourite celebrities – including Stephen Fry, Dame Joanna Lumley, Ellie Taylor, Rosemary Shrager and Judy Murray.  

The charity will also send bakers a free mug-shaped cookie cutter, based on the mugs from which many children eat their daily serving of Mary’s Meals.   

It costs just £19.15 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, which means every penny raised through baking will help to transform young lives around the world.  

Dan McNally, head of grassroots engagement, at Mary’s Meals says: “£19.15 can buy you 14 packets of chocolate digestives or 35 packs of my personal favourite, the ginger snap! It is also enough to feed a hungry child every day for a school year with Mary’s Meals.  

“By taking part in Raise Some Dough, you can enjoy biscuits with your friends and family, while feeding children in some of the world’s poorest countries. So please get baking!”  

Last November, Mary’s Meals ran a UK-wide survey which found that the digestive is the country’s favourite biscuit for dunking in a cuppa.  

The survey also revealed that one in three people have dunked their biscuit in someone else’s cuppa (33%); just 12% of respondents said they never dunk biscuits, with a further 12% saying they don’t eat biscuits.  

To order your free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/raise   

Gary Maclean’s Ginger Snap recipe 

You’ll need: 

300g Plain flour  
50g Fine oatmeal  
175g Soft brown sugar 
100g Unsalted butter  
1 Egg  
4 tbsp Golden syrup 
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda  
2 tsp Ground ginger  
This recipe works just as well with gluten free flour and non-dairy butter. 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F. 
2. Sieve the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in mixing bowl. 
3. Add the fine oatmeal, next dice the butter and rub into the flour mix until crumbly. 
4. Next, add the soft brown sugar, golden syrup and egg, mix well until it forms a firm doughy mixture. 
5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ½ cm 1/8 inch thick. 
6. Cut to your required size and place onto a non-stick tray. 
7. Pop the tray into the preheated oven.
8. Remove after 7 to 10 minutes or when golden.
9. Cool and then serve.