Really easy biscuits, and you can use this base to make so many alternative flavours.
When my sister was planning her wedding I came up with the idea of making iced biscuits as name settings and favours. So in preparation I bought a book on biscuits and an array of cookie cutters. This didn’t happen, but recently myself and a friend had a joint birthday afternoon tea party so it was an excuse to get the cookie cutters out.
[callout title=Ingredients:]
- 350g plain flour
- 100g self raising flour
- 125g granulated sugar
- 125g salted butter – diced
- 125g golden syrup
- 1 large egg – slightly beaten
- Grated zest of 2 oranges
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
[/callout]
How to make the biscuits:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Sift the flours together in a mixing bowl
- Add the sugar and cinnamon – mix well
- Add the butter. Using the tips of your fingers rub together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
- Make a well in the centre and add the orange zest, syrup and egg
- Mix well, stop as soon as a ball has formed
- Place the dough onto a clean surface and roll out
- Cut the biscuits as close to each other as possible to use the dough efficiently
- Place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper (make sure they are not too close as the dough will spread a little while cooking)
- Evenly space the trays in the oven and bake for 14-18 minutes (the biscuits should be golden in colour)
- Remove the tray from the oven and place the whole sheet of parchment paper on a wire rack to cool
- Cool totally before icing and storing(the icing will melt if you ice while still warm and they will lose their crunch if you store them before they are cool)
These biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to a week if they last that long! These biscuits are meant to be iced, but I found they didn’t need anything. To decorate this particular shape I cheated and used a pre bought icing pouch like this one . With the same batch of dough I also made some mustache biscuits that I didn’t ice at all and they were just as popular. If you want to ice them properly then royal icing is the best type to use.
If you wanted to make alternative flavours, just replace the orange zest and cinnamon with the following:
(Add all dry ingredients with the sugar and wet ingredients with the egg)
- NUTMEG – 1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg
- GINGER – 1tbsp ground ginger
- LEMON – grated zest of 2 lemons
- COFFEE – 3tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1tbsp water
This recipe is from Biscuiteers Book of Iced biscuits
[…] very relaxing to have time to enjoy it and laugh when things go slightly wrong! We used a Sunday Baking recipe if you’re interested, tasty results but also makes loads so be prepared! And maybe […]