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Biscuits

Florentines

Posted on January 5, 2018 in Biscuits

Florentines are a perfect homemade gift at any time of year but specially Christmas. They are an Italian classic, so vibrant and beautiful, sweet, crunchy and delicious. 

Use this recipe and you can always adjusted fruit flavour combinations such as cherry and dark chocolate, orange zest and milk chocolate or even stick to my favourite almonds, pistachios and cranberries!

These Florentines are so colourful, glistening with red cranberries and dipped in chocolate. They are honestly dead easy to make.

Florentines
Yields 20
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
8 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
8 min
Total Time
20 min
71 calories
8 g
6 g
4 g
1 g
2 g
24 g
6 g
5 g
0 g
3 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
24g
Yields
20
Amount Per Serving
Calories 71
Calories from Fat 35
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g
6%
Saturated Fat 2g
8%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 6mg
2%
Sodium 6mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 8g
3%
Dietary Fiber 1g
2%
Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A
2%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
3%
Iron
2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Ingredients
  1. 50g butter
  2. 50g light brown demerara sugar
  3. 50g golden syrup
  4. 50g plain flour
  5. 50g chopped almonds
  6. 25g chopped cranberries
  7. 25g chopped pistachios
  8. 175g dark/milk/white Dr.Oekter Chocolate
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line three baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.
  2. Measure the butter, sugar and syrup into a small pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and add the flour, chopped almonds, cranberries and pistachios to the pan and stir well to mix. Spoon teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking trays, leaving plenty of room for them to spread.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Leave the Florentines to cool before lifting onto a cooling rack with a palette knife. If the Florentines become too hard to remove, put them back into the oven for a few moments to allow them to soften.
  4. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in a microwave, stirring occasionally, and taking care not to burn the chocolate. Spread a little melted chocolate over the flat base of each Florentine using a palette knife, and leave to set, chocolate-side up, on the cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Adapted from Mary Berry
beta
calories
71
fat
4g
protein
1g
carbs
8g
more
Adapted from Mary Berry
Forever Baking . . . http://www.foreverbaking.co.uk/

Unicorn Biscuits

Posted on September 11, 2017 in Biscuits

On last weeks episode of the Great British Bake Off (week 2) we saw an emotional signature challenge and an oriental technical. And, a Bake Off first - spectacular showstopping biscuits that are good enough to eat and play!

Here’s a recipe to give you the chance to become the star baker of your household.

Love unicorns and sweet treats? Well you’re in luck!

These unicorn cookies are adorable and so easy for anyone to try at home. They would make a perfect party favour! You can also flavour your cookie dough and royal icing to make it even more delicious.

Unicorn Biscuits
Serves 24
Add some magic to your baking game with these Unicorn biscuits!
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Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 20 min
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 20 min
293 calories
61 g
19 g
5 g
3 g
3 g
80 g
52 g
45 g
0 g
1 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
80g
Servings
24
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293
Calories from Fat 41
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g
7%
Saturated Fat 3g
14%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 19mg
6%
Sodium 52mg
2%
Total Carbohydrates 61g
20%
Dietary Fiber 1g
2%
Sugars 45g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A
3%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
2%
Iron
3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 350g plain flour
  2. 100g self-raising flour
  3. 125g granulated sugar
  4. 125g salted butter softened, diced
  5. 125g golden syrup
  6. 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
  7. 1 large egg lightly beaten
  8. 4 egg whites
  9. 900g icing sugar
Instructions
  1. Sift the flours together into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and mix well with an electric mixer..
  2. Add the butter and beat until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
  3. When all the butter is evenly mixed in, make a well in the centre and add the syrup, vanilla and the egg.
  4. Mix well and stop as soon as a ball has formed.
  5. Roll out the dough evenly and use your unicorn cutter to cut the shapes out. Place on to a prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 170°C, or until golden brown.
  7. While the biscuits cool start to make the icing.
  8. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, starting with the liquids first. Add the dry ingredients and whisk or beat for about 5 minutes if using an electric beater or whisk.
  9. Continue whisking until the ingredients form a thick, smooth paste that is bright white in colour and has the consistency of toothpaste.
  10. If you are not using it immediately, cover the surface of the icing with cling-film to stop it drying out and refrigerate.
  11. You will need two types of icing. Line icing which should be the texture of toothpaste. This is used to out line your cookie. Flood icing which is a little runnier than the line icing (just mix in a few teaspoons of water) - this is used to fill the biscuit.
  12. When making the outline to fill with flooding icing you need to make sure that you join up your trail to form an unbroken wall around the shape of the unicorn. If there are any gaps the flood icing will flow through.
  13. Colour some line icing pale pink and outline the unicorn biscuit. Then flood the biscuits with the same colour icing which you can water down a little. You then need to leave to dry. While the biscuits are drying colour your remaining line icing a deep pink, orange and leave some white. Pipe a flower head band onto the unicorn using different start nozzles. Using the white icing pipe on the mane and the horn. When all icing is completely dry paint on the unicorns nose and horn with gold paint. You can then used a black food pen to draw on the eyelashes. You could make your unicorn even more magical with a touch of glitter or pearl decorations. Leave to dry before devouring them, if you can wait that long!
Notes
  1. You'll need a unicorn cookie cutter for this recipe.
Adapted from Biscuiteers
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calories
293
fat
5g
protein
3g
carbs
61g
more
Adapted from Biscuiteers
Forever Baking . . . http://www.foreverbaking.co.uk/

Three top tips for icing:

1. Be well equipped-You can only pipe prettily with the right equipment so make sure you have a unicorn cookie cutter, icing bags, nozzles, gel colours and edible paint (Lakeland or Amazon is great for all of thesethese)

2. One batch of icing
You don’t even need to make more than one batch of icing for this design. You can simply adapt each stage from your original white ‘line’ icing, adding water and colouring to the remaining mixture as required. Simple.

3. Buy a biscuit recipe book

If you need more help/ideas with your icing skills, get yourself a copy of this brilliant book by my fave biscuit company Biscuiteers.

 

Linzer Heart Sandwich Biscuits

Posted on February 12, 2017 in Biscuits

Nothing could be more appropriate for valentines day than a tray of these, buttery, confectioners’ sugar-dusted, jam-packed Biscuits.

Raspberries and almonds are a classic combination for a reason – they just work. The sweet raspberries accentuate the toasted almonds and brown sugar flavor of these traditional Austrian cookies.

Linzer cookies might look like another pretty sandwich cookie, but these sweet biscuits have a rich,  crumb, thanks to a nearly invisible ingredient.

Small dollops of fruit jam add an extra touch of sweetness to these moorish butter cookies.

These linzer biscuits are filled with sticky raspberry jam to make them extra tasty, kids and grown ups will love them! You can use a variety of different cutters, round cutters with a hole in the centre are used for traditional Jammie Dodger biscuits, or you could cut out eyes and a mouth to make smiley faces. 

What would normally be a fairly standard shortbread biscuit is instantly transformed by the presence of some jam and the lovely little love heart shapes.

What’s particularly great about this Linzer sandwich biscuit recipe is just how simple they are to whip together. The dough takes around 10 minutes to mix up, you’ll soon then have a batch of deliciously fresh Jammy biscuits for any occasion in no time at all.

Linzer Heart Sandwich Biscuits
Serves 12
This buttery shortbread sandwich is Britain’s answer to the Linzer cookie. Fill with homemade jam for a beautiful and delicious sweet biscuit.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
441 calories
40 g
49 g
30 g
7 g
13 g
87 g
6 g
19 g
1 g
15 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
87g
Servings
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 441
Calories from Fat 256
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 30g
46%
Saturated Fat 13g
63%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Cholesterol 49mg
16%
Sodium 6mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 40g
13%
Dietary Fiber 3g
12%
Sugars 19g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A
11%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
7%
Iron
6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Ingredients
  1. 275g unsalted butter, softened
  2. 130g caster sugar
  3. 250g sifted plain flour
  4. 250g ground almonds
  5. 100g raspberry jam
  6. 5 tablespoons icing sugar for decoration
Instructions
  1. Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the flour about 60g at a time, the almonds and continue beating until the mixture becomes a slightly stiff dough.
  2. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate it for about one hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 170 C.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the 1/2 of the dough into a sheet 3mm thick. With a heart biscuit cutter, cut as many hearts from the sheet as you can. Knead the leftover scraps of dough into a ball and roll it out again into a 3mm thick sheet. Cut out more heart shapes. You should now have about 12 heart shapes.
  5. Arrange them on an ungreased baking tray, leaving about 2.5cm of space between them.
  6. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the other half of the dough, but before placing the second batch on the baking tray, cut out the centre of each heart with a 1smaller heart cutter. Bake both batches for 10 - 15 minutes or until light brown. Cool on cake rack for 20 minutes.
  7. Spread tops of the solid hearts with a thin coating of jam, lay a cutout biscuit on top of each, pressing the two together so they make a sandwich. Spoon a dab of jam into the opening of each sandwich and sprinkle the tops with icing sugar before serving.
  8. NOTE: Keep dough as cold as possible for easier handling. You may have to chill it after rolling it out so that it will be easier to cut.
Notes
  1. If the dough is still a little sticky, chill it in the fridge for a little longer until firm enough to roll out. The dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month or kept in the fridge for 1 week. Once cooked the biscuits will keep for 3-4 days in a cake tin.
beta
calories
441
fat
30g
protein
7g
carbs
40g
more
Forever Baking . . . http://www.foreverbaking.co.uk/
If the dough is still a little sticky, chill it in the fridge for a little longer until firm enough to roll out. The dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month or kept in the fridge for 1 week. Once cooked the biscuits will keep for 3-4 days in a cake tin.

Shortbread Biscuits

Posted on May 14, 2015 in Biscuits

IMG_9665

Let me tell you about this beautiful and simple recipe for classic shortbread biscuits. Three ingredients, only three ingredients and you get to have the most delectable and buttery and sweet shortbread biscuit you’ll ever have in your life. 

IMG_9672

Who could resist such a buttery treat? These chocolate drizzled shortbread bites are so simple to make but they taste so good! The shortbread has the perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture.  I like the tender, but not crumbly, consistency of the shortbread and the way that it seems to melt in your mouth when you eat it. This shortbread recipe is very simple and uses just flour, sugar and butter. The shortbread has a wonderful consistency and a very buttery flavour, with hint of sweetness from the chocolate.

IMG_9669

Shortbread Biscuits
Serves 12
Buttery, crumbly shortbread biscuits drizzled with dark chocolate.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
18 min
Total Time
23 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
18 min
Total Time
23 min
270 calories
23 g
45 g
19 g
3 g
12 g
51 g
3 g
7 g
1 g
6 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
51g
Servings
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 270
Calories from Fat 165
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19g
29%
Saturated Fat 12g
58%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 45mg
15%
Sodium 3mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 23g
8%
Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
Sugars 7g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A
10%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
1%
Iron
3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 250g soft butter
  2. 65g icing sugar
  3. 250g plain flour
  4. 50g dark chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare two large baking sheets lined with baking paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add flour and continue to mix. Mix until mixture forms a soft dough. Using your hands form the dough into a cohesive ball with your hands.
  3. Roll dough 1/4-inch thick on a surface dusted with flour or icing sugar with a well-dusted rolling pin. Cut into rounds or your desired shape and place on prepared baking sheets.
  4. Repeat as necessary.
  5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cookies are pale golden brown. Let cool on baking sheets.
  6. Melt the chocolate and put into a piping bag. slowly drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled shortbread. Leave on wire rack to set.
beta
calories
270
fat
19g
protein
3g
carbs
23g
more
Forever Baking . . . http://www.foreverbaking.co.uk/

Viennese Whirl Biscuits

Posted on November 14, 2014 in Biscuits

Viennese Whirls are a favourite  in my home. The cream, the jam, the delicate crumbly biscuit I mean, what’s not to love?! These delicious biscuits are buttery and light and are sure to spice up your Christmas.

Ingredients

250g very soft butter

50g icing sugar plus extra to decorate

250g plain flour

50g cornflour

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the filling

100g soft butter

200g  icing sugar plus ½ tsp for dusting

½ tsp pure canilla extract

75g seedless raspberry jam

 

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

Put the butter, icing sugar, plain flour, cornflour and vanilla extract in a food processor and beat until smooth.

Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe 16-18 x 6cm/2½in rosettes of the dough, spacing well apart. If your a bit of a perfectionist like me you may want to trace around some circle cutters to give you a guideline.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 13-15 minutes or until pale golden-brown and firm. Cool on the baking tray for five minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 32-36 biscuits.

For the filling, put the butter in a bowl and sift the icing sugar on top. Add the vanilla extract and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric whisk until very light and smooth. Spoon into a clean piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Put the jam in a bowl and stir until smooth.

Spoon a little jam onto the flat side of 16 of the biscuits and place jam-side up on the cooling rack.

Pipe the buttercream icing onto the remaining biscuits and sandwich with the jam.

Put on a serving plate and dust with sifted icing sugar. Serve.

 

Halloween Biscuits

Posted on October 31, 2014 in Biscuits

To celebrate and to embrace the Halloween season I decided to test out another of Biscuteers recipes. This time I took the recipe from their lovely  ‘Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuites’ which is full of the most amazing recipes and pictures. It includes decoration ideas for nearly every celebration and special occasion. Take a look below at some of their designs.

Ingredients

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mixed spice

50g muscovado dark brown sugar

100g salted butter, diced 50g black treacle or molasses

 

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.

Add butter, Using the tips of your fingers, rub the ingredients together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs or beat using an electric mixer.

When all the butter is evenly mixed in, make a well in the centre and add the treacle and bring it all together.

You will know when it is all mixed in as it will have an even colour all over with not too many streaks of treacle.

Place the dough onto a clean worktop. Divide into two and squash the dough into two even-sized flat discs. Cover and chill until ready to use or roll out immediately.

Place the dough on a sheet of parchment and begin by gently squashing the dough down with a rolling pin or your hands. Cover with a second sheet of parchment and then use the rolling pin to roll out properly. The top sheet of paper may crinkle from time to time, just peel it off and smooth it down gently before starting to roll again.

Preheat the oven to 170c.

Gently roll the dough until it is 5mm thick all over, then transfer the whole sheet of rolled dough still sandwiched between its sheets of parchment to a baking tray and place in the fridge to chill for at least 20 – 30 minutes before cutting.

To use the dough efficiently cut the biscuits out using your halloween cutters as close together as possible. Lift each biscuit onto the parchment covered baking tray and make sure they are not too close together as the dough will spread a little on baking. Any trimmings can be re-rolled a couple of times.

Evenly space the trays in the oven and cook for 14-18 minutes, depending on your oven

When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to turn a golden colour remove the trays from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of parchment to a cooling rack. Do this carefully as the biscuits will be quite fragile and hot! Cool totally before starting to ice.

Now the fun begins…Icing!! If your not familiar with the terms of line and flood icing take a look at this link. www.biscuiteers.com/blog/blog/recipes/royal-icing-recipe-flood-and-line-techniques

Black Bat

Ice around the outline of the bat with black line icing and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Flood the body with black runny icing. Allow to dry completely. Add 2 eyes with yellow line icing.

Ghoulish Ghost

Outline the body of the ghost in white line icing, then outline the eyes and mouth in orange line icing. Allow to dry for 5 minutes. Flood with white runny icing and allow to completely dry.

Perfect Pumpkins

Outline the pumpkin, eyes and mouth with orange line icing. Allow to dry for 5 minutes. Outline the stalk with green line icing and fill with green flood icing, Allow to dry again for 5 minutes. Fill the pumpkin with orange flood icing and allow to dry completely.

 

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