Biscuits
1 Basic Biscuits
A standard 250ml cup has been used in all recipes.
- 125 gm. butter softened but not melted (1/4 packet)
- 1/2 cup sugar (brown is good for many recipes - caramel flavour)
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 and 3/4 cups plain flour (or mix of white & wholemeal)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
Beat butter and sugar together to get a lot of air in, then beat in egg. Mix in flour and baking powder without beating any more. Spoon on to greased oven tray in large-teaspoon amounts, flattening slightly with a wet fork. Makes about 35 biscuits. Bake about 12 minutes at 170 celsius.
The basic biscuit mixture can be varied by baking as individual biscuits, or as a slice which is cut up after baking. Biscuits are crisper than slices, and keep longer. Biscuits will be very crisp for 'dunking' if loosened from tray after baking, then put back in turned-off oven with door open for 1/2 hour. Icing can be spread on biscuits or slices, after baking, and while they are still slightly warm. Several Tbs. icing sugar are mixed with a few tsp. softened butter and boiling water to make the required amount of icing. This can be varied by adding a teaspoon of golden syrup, or a Tb. cocoa powder.
2 Biscuit Variations
2.1 Almond
Add 1 tsp. almond essence, and 1/2 cup flaked almonds. Or leave out flaked almonds and top each biscuit before baking with half a blanched almond.
2.2 Biscotti
Add an extra egg, but omit butter. Add 1 tsp. vanilla & 1/2 cup cashew nuts OR 1 tsp. almond essence & 1/2 cup flaked almonds. Form mixture into a log and bake on greased tray about 30 mins. at 160 C. Cool and cut into 1 cm. slices. Place on greased tray and bake again for about 15 mins. at 160 celsius.
2.3 Bran
Replace 1 cup flour with 1 cup bran. Reduce 1/2 cup sugar to 1/4 cup.
2.4 Cheese
Omit egg and sugar. Add 1 and 1/2 cups grated cheese & 2 Tbs. grated onion or 2 tsp. onion stock powder/soup mix.
2.5 Cherry
Replace 3/4 cup flour with 1 cup cornflakes crushed. Add 1 tsp. almond essence. Top each biscuit with 1/2 glace cherry before baking.
2.6 Chocolate Chip
Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips before flour. Add more if preferred.
2.7 Chocolate Crunch
Replace 1/2 cup flour with 2 Tb. cocoa and 1 cup cornflakes crushed. When baked top with chocolate icing.
2.8 Coconut
Replace 3/4 cup flour with 3/4 cup desiccated coconut.
2.9 Crackers
Omit sugar and egg. Reduce butter to 50g and put it in 1/2 cup lukewarm water with 1.Tbs. golden syrup. Roll out dough 1/2cm thick and cut in squares. Prick each square and sprinkle lightly with salt before baking.
2.10 Ginger
Omit egg. Add 2 Tb. golden syrup & 4 tsp. ground ginger & 1 tsp. baking soda, as well as baking powder.
2.11 Gingerbread Men
Add 2 Tb. golden syrup & 4 ts. gr. ginger & 1 ts. baking soda as well as baking powder. Add a little water to get dough to right consistency to roll out to 1/2cm thick and cut out gingerbread men shapes. Decorate with currants for face or ice after baking.
2.12 Hokey Pokey
Replace egg with 1 Tb.warm milk and 1 tsp. bak. soda, also 1 Tb. warm golden syrup.
2.13 Honey
Change 1/2 cup sugar to 1/4 cup and add 4 Tb. honey, warmed. Omit egg.
2.14 Lemon
Add 3 tsp. finely grated lemon zest. When baked and cooled, top with icing mixed with lemon juice instead of water.
2.15 Melting Moments
Replace sugar with 1/2 cup icing sugar plus 1 heaped Tb. more of it. Replace 1 cup flour with 1 cup cornflour. When baked top with icing, or sandwich 2 together with jam or icing.
2.16 Oaties
Replace egg with 2 Tb. golden syrup. Change 1/2 cup sugar to 1/4 sugar. Replace 1 cup flour with 1 cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup desiccated coconut.
2.17 Peanut
Add 1/2 cup blanched peanuts, lightly roasted.
2.18 Rockies
Add 1/2 cup chocolate-coated peanuts/raisins, or yoghurt-coated raisins.
2.19 Shortbread
Replace sugar with icing sugar. Replace 1 cup flour with 1/2 cup cornflour. Omit egg. Form dough into flat square, about 1/2 cm. thick and cut into fingers before placing on baking tray.
2.20 Shortbread Painted
Prepare shortbread but cut dough into fancy shapes. Paint each unbaked biscuit with a small amount of egg white lightly beaten with a few drops of food colouring. 1 egg white can be divided among 3 different colours. Sprinkle biscuits with sugar before they dry, then bake them.
2.21 Stained Glass Windows
Prepare shortbread and cut into shapes with 2cm circle cut out of middle. Put shapes on to greased foil on baking tray. Place hardboiled lollies in centres and bake. When cool, peel off foil carefully.
2.22 Spice
Add 1 tsp. mixed spice & 1 tsp. cinnamon & 1 tsp. ground ginger.
Biscuits can be iced and decorated with licorice and lollies.
3 Chocolate chip biscuits from Nieman Marcus USA
- 1 cup butter
- 375g chocolate chips
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 125g bar Hershey or other chocolate grated
- 2 and 1/2 cups fine oatmeal
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 and 1/2 cups chopped nuts
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet, flattening slightly with damp fork. Bake about 10 minutes at 180C or 375F. Makes about 50 biscuits.