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!

Easter bunnies

I tried my hand at biscuits again this Easter, using some of my new cutters. I was a bit worried the bunny faces would work out a bit scary but I was quite pleased with the end result.

The vanilla recipe is as follows:

50 caster

75 margarine

125 plain flour

1 eggs

1) Rub butter into flour intil breadcrumb like in texture.

2) Stir in sugar

3) Add in whisked egg a little at a time (not all may be needed)

4) Form into a soft but not sticky dough

5) Roll out about 5 mm thick onto a floured work surace and cut into shapes

6) Brush tops of each shape with milk

7) Put into a 160 C oven for around 20 minutes until golden.

8) Decorate and enjoy!

I kept the decorations simple, and used cocunut to create a 'fuzzy' look. The duckling was first spread with lemon curd, then dipped in coconut. I think the jumping bunny is the cutest :)

Hope everyone had a happy Easter!

Easter biscuits

I decided since it was Easter to use some of the biscuit cutters I bought recently.They're German (Empire) biscuits to a recipe from an old cook book:

8 oz (225g) plain flour

4 oz (115g) butter

4 oz (115g) caster sugar

1 egg

1tsp vanilla flavouring

Jam and icing sugar for decoration

You will need 1 large, greased baking tray.

1)Cream the sugar and butter

2)Add in vanilla

3)Stir in flour and mix well

4)Add a little of the beaten egg and knead into a stiff dough. (If it is too dry and won't stick add a tablespoon of water)

5)Roll out to 5mm, or around 1/4 inch on a floured surface, and use cutters.

6)Bake at 160 C or 150 C if fan assisted for 15-20 minutes.

7)When cool, cover half in icing and sandwich layers together with jam.Here's what I came up with:

I used coloured fondant icing to save me making lots of batches of icing.

Don't forget to do two of each if using differently shaped cutters, since they have to sit on top of one another. Also, I found it helpful make one layer of the biscuit face the opposite direction. That way, when they are put together, the bottoms are hidden, making it look neater. It's especially useful if they stick to the baking tray as this can be hidden by the jam!

Happy Easter everyone.