Cornish Fairings (Ginger Biscuits)

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A centuries old cherished Cornish treat, these traditional Cornish Fairings are packed with flavor and are wonderfully crunchy, making them oh so perfect for dunking! One of my favorite cookies and a favorite in our home, I’m confident you’re going to love these as much as we do!

I grew up in Cambridgeshire, England and have traveled all over the country, have visited every county, and love it all, but Cornwall holds a particularly special place in my heart. With it’s breathtaking rugged coastlines, rolling landscapes, historic castles and manors, charming fishing villages, and strong ancestral connection (you can read more about that in my Cornish Pasty post), we go back frequently and feel emotionally recharged each time. And on every visit I spend time further exploring old Cornish traditions, including of course traditional Cornish food. Today’s recipe goes back centuries and is a cherished ginger biscuit (cookie) known as Cornish Fairings.

What are Cornish Fairings?

The term “fairing” originally referred to any small, edible souvenir sold at fairs throughout England. These treats varied by region, with gingerbread being a particularly popular choice because it kept for a long while before spoiling. These gingerbread creations would be baked in all shapes and sizes and were often purchased and given as tokens of affection. They were also purchased as good luck charms; young women would buy gingerbread shaped men in the hope of finding their husbands that year. With these varying traditions throughout the counties of England, Cornwall emerged with a version of its own: a spiced and crunchy ginger biscuit that was perfect for dunking in tea, the Cornish Fairing.

One such historic fair in Cornwall is the Summercourt Fair held annually the end of September just outside of Newquay. The fair continues today, 800 years later, as Cornwall’s oldest fair. We haven’t yet been to Summercourt Fair because we usually go in June and our tradition is to go in time for the Royal Cornwall Show, which is Cornwall’s famous agricultural show, running since 1827. Our kids love to see all of the sheep, cows, pigs and other animals, sample local treats, and watch an annual event called the Massed Parades of Hounds. We have a Treeing Walker Coonhound, the American descendent of the English Foxhound, and so it’s fun to see a hundred or so hounds running across the field the horsemen in traditional clothing.

Other counties in England sold their own variations of gingerbread or ginger biscuit fairings at their local fairs historically, but the Cornish Fairing is the only one that has remained, an exception being the lesser known Dorset Fair Gingerbreads. It’s a tradition that the Cornish people have refused to let fade away in the dust of time and have kept alive centuries later as a treasured piece of Cornish culinary heritage. Largely to thank for that is a baker from Truro named John Cooper Furniss who turned the Cornish Fairing into a commercial venture. He started Furniss Foods and in 1886 started producing Cornish Fairings commercially. He even sold them by mail order and soon people all around England were enjoying these ginger biscuits, which propelled the Cornish Fairing to national fame. Furniss continues to make them today and holds the legal rights to the name.

Cornish Fairings Ingredients

Flour, sugar and butter form the base of these ginger fairings. Traditionally lard would have been used. I have made these with all butter as well as half butter and half lard and while I’m a fan of lard in certain baking applications, I prefer all butter for these ginger biscuits. You can try both ways and see what you prefer. You can easily make your own lard (strongly recommended) which is super easy. Check out my tutorial on How to Make Lard. Cornish Fairings are flavored with a generous dose of ground ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice. Don’t be afraid to use the generous amounts of spices. Cornish Fairings are bold and delicious with a mildly spicy kick. If you’re not already familiar with it, mixed spice is a traditional spice blend used in lot of British baking. You can readily find it online but can very easily make your own, which is what I recommend for the best flavor. Check out my recipe for homemade Mixed Spice. Another essential ingredient for Cornish Fairings is golden syrup. This contributes both flavor and texture. Again, this can be purchased online or you can make your own (not quite the same but pretty close). Check out my recipe for homemade Golden Syrup.

Aside from that you will need baking powder and baking soda and Cornish Fairings call for a sizable amount of both. Don’t be alarmed, these quantities are traditional and contribute not only to the Cornish Fairing’s characteristic crackled top but also to its magnificent crunchy texture. Something I love about them is that unlike many other biscuits, these retain their crunch for several days. These Cornish Fairings are especially fabulous dunked in tea, the traditional way to eat them. Or, as my kids enjoy them, dunked in milk.

Cornish Fairings Recipe

Let’s get started!

Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C.

Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Place the golden syrup and butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter is melted.

Pour the golden syrup/butter mixture into the dry mixture. Stir to combine and then knead with your hands to form a stiff dough.

The way these biscuits are made in the factory at Furniss, is they drop the balls of biscuit dough on a conveyor belt that is then run through a machine with a big roller that flattens them out before taking them off to the oven. We’re going to do the same by rolling the dough into 1-inch balls, place each ball on the palm of your hand and press down to flatten them.

Place the flattened dough balls onto a lined baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 11-14 minutes or until they’re a deep golden brown. Note, the longer they bake the crunchier they’ll be, so base the length of baking time on your texture preference.

Let the ginger fairings sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature where they will keep for a several days.

Enjoy!

For more traditional British treats be sure to try my:

• Treacle Tart
• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Lardy Cake
• Spotted Dick
• Victoria Sponge Cake
• Eccles Cakes
• Crumpets
• Figgy Pudding
• Mince Pies