I've been looking for a decent basic biscuit recipe for ages and now, after a couple of months experimentation with this one, I think I've found it.
8 oz plain flour
6 oz butter*
4 oz fat
mix all the ingredients together.
For messy shaped biscuits: roll walnut size bits of the mixture together, place on grease proof paper on baking tray, squash a little and refrigerate for 20-30 mins.
For tidy, round biscuits: take half the mixture and make it into a sausage shape by rolling it. Wrap in baking foil and put in fridge. After cooling for 20-30 mins, just slice round shapes from it.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at gas 4, 160C.
*If you're feeling lazy or don't have an electric hand whisk, melt the butter before adding it to the mixture and just cool everything in the fridge for 10-20 mins longer. If you make neat biscuits, the mixture won't 'sausage' easily if you've used hot butter. Bring the mixture together in a ball in the mixing bowl, then leave in the fridge for 10-15 mins before 'sausaging'.
The book I originally found this recipe in was Mary Berry's cake book (highly recommended) where she uses lavender to flavour it. I've not actually tried lavender, but here are some alternative flavourings:
Ginger: if your ginger is quite old, it will have less flavour so use a little more. I recommend 2-3 teaspoons.
Lemon: zest and juice one lemon. Add to mix. Looks pretty if you sprinkle icing sugar on top after baking.
Oats and raisin: If you're adding oats, use them as a replacement for the flour. So, if you're using 4 oz of oats, only use 4 oz of flour. Add as many raisins as you want. With this version, I also chuck in mixed spices (ie: indeterminate amounts of whatever I have in the cupboard that needs using up: ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon usually).
8 oz plain flour
6 oz butter*
4 oz fat
mix all the ingredients together.
For messy shaped biscuits: roll walnut size bits of the mixture together, place on grease proof paper on baking tray, squash a little and refrigerate for 20-30 mins.
For tidy, round biscuits: take half the mixture and make it into a sausage shape by rolling it. Wrap in baking foil and put in fridge. After cooling for 20-30 mins, just slice round shapes from it.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at gas 4, 160C.
*If you're feeling lazy or don't have an electric hand whisk, melt the butter before adding it to the mixture and just cool everything in the fridge for 10-20 mins longer. If you make neat biscuits, the mixture won't 'sausage' easily if you've used hot butter. Bring the mixture together in a ball in the mixing bowl, then leave in the fridge for 10-15 mins before 'sausaging'.
The book I originally found this recipe in was Mary Berry's cake book (highly recommended) where she uses lavender to flavour it. I've not actually tried lavender, but here are some alternative flavourings:
Ginger: if your ginger is quite old, it will have less flavour so use a little more. I recommend 2-3 teaspoons.
Lemon: zest and juice one lemon. Add to mix. Looks pretty if you sprinkle icing sugar on top after baking.
Oats and raisin: If you're adding oats, use them as a replacement for the flour. So, if you're using 4 oz of oats, only use 4 oz of flour. Add as many raisins as you want. With this version, I also chuck in mixed spices (ie: indeterminate amounts of whatever I have in the cupboard that needs using up: ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon usually).
3 comments:
Middley,
Will you be taking biscuits to the Pupillage interviews, and have you got any yet?
i do enjoy your blog by the way. Lots of interesting but irrelevant stuff.
Swizz
Middley?! What kind of a nickname is that! Try harder, sir, I do beseech you!
I'm glad that I am entirely irrelevant - otherwise I fear I would be 'guilted' (that is a word, I promise!) into doing real work :)
Alas, taking biscuits to pupillage interviews would involve having interviews rather than the two rejections (sorry, should I say 'application unsuccessful') messages that currently greet me on OLPAS.
How are you doing on that score?
Muddley, is that better?
I have no interviews, and no rejections.
Come to think of it, I haven't even started the BVC yet, so I can relax on that score.
I am sure it will come. If Andropov can get an interview I am sure you can.
Biscuits I think would be good. Not the lavender ones though!
Chin up, it will all come good.
swizzle stick
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