Showing posts with label shortbread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shortbread. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
German biscuits
These have always been known as german biscuits in my house, but it seems that apart from a few others, the rest of the world knows them as empire biscuits. They hail from Scotland and remind me of home bakeries. You can get them from supermarkets but they're always too dry and when I can nab them from a proper bakey I do.
What is basically two layers of shortbread jammed together with a bit of icing is more than the sum of its parts. Yum yum. The picture unfortunately isn't mine, I shamefully didn't have any glace cherries.
The recipe is slightly adapted from a few sites and makes a great moist but not sticky dough. It makes around 6 complete biscuits or 12 rounds.
6oz plain flour
4oz butter or margarine
2oz caster sugar
Jam
Icing to decorate
1) Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs
OR
use a food processor like I did.
2) Stir in sugar
3) Work into a dough and roll out. Use a fluted cutter around 2in/3in wide and place onto a greased baking tray.
4) Bake for around 10 minutes at 180 C
When cool, jam together with the 'bottom' of the biscuits together. I didn't put the amount of jam because that would involved getting everything sticky measuring it and because if I did you'd all think I have a problem! Add icing and a glace cheery and enjoy!
What is basically two layers of shortbread jammed together with a bit of icing is more than the sum of its parts. Yum yum. The picture unfortunately isn't mine, I shamefully didn't have any glace cherries.
The recipe is slightly adapted from a few sites and makes a great moist but not sticky dough. It makes around 6 complete biscuits or 12 rounds.
6oz plain flour
4oz butter or margarine
2oz caster sugar
Jam
Icing to decorate
1) Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs
OR
use a food processor like I did.
2) Stir in sugar
3) Work into a dough and roll out. Use a fluted cutter around 2in/3in wide and place onto a greased baking tray.
4) Bake for around 10 minutes at 180 C
When cool, jam together with the 'bottom' of the biscuits together. I didn't put the amount of jam because that would involved getting everything sticky measuring it and because if I did you'd all think I have a problem! Add icing and a glace cheery and enjoy!
Monday, 14 April 2008
I was feeling a bit more adventurous today and tried out a new shortbread recipe. It doesn't involve rolling out a dough, which is unusual, but turned out brilliant, so I'll be using this easier version in the future.
180g plain flour
55g rice flour
150g margarine (or butter)
100g caster sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking power
1) Preheat oven to 160 C and grease a shallow 8 in pan.
2)Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy
3)Sift in flours, baking power and salt, then mix into a stiff dough
4)Spread out into the tin, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Mark the surface with a fork, and slice into 8.
5)Bake for 45-50 minutes until it is golden brown. Wait a short time until it's cool enough to handle, then remove from tin. Recut into 8 while warm, then leave to cool.
I found that having a fairly low gauge tin meant it was easier to remove the shortbread, as I could 'twist' it slightly like an ice cube tray. It's slightly springy when warm, so shouldn't crack.
It tasted gorgeous, and was very short, though 1/8 is a big portion, so smaller might be better.
180g plain flour
55g rice flour
150g margarine (or butter)
100g caster sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking power
1) Preheat oven to 160 C and grease a shallow 8 in pan.
2)Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy
3)Sift in flours, baking power and salt, then mix into a stiff dough
4)Spread out into the tin, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Mark the surface with a fork, and slice into 8.
5)Bake for 45-50 minutes until it is golden brown. Wait a short time until it's cool enough to handle, then remove from tin. Recut into 8 while warm, then leave to cool.
I found that having a fairly low gauge tin meant it was easier to remove the shortbread, as I could 'twist' it slightly like an ice cube tray. It's slightly springy when warm, so shouldn't crack.
It tasted gorgeous, and was very short, though 1/8 is a big portion, so smaller might be better.
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