Easter Biscuits
A cherished English Easter tradition for centuries, these crunchy currant-studded, lemony and lightly spiced biscuits are positively irresistible!
Equipment
- Cookie Cutters (2 1/2 inch or 3 inch), I like these because they don't rust or bend and don't have seams
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
- homemade mixed spice (click for recipe, highly recommend making your own for best flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (to make your own, pulse granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until fine)
- 1 large egg , separated
- zest of one small lemon
- 2 tablespoons brandy (can substitute milk)
- 1/3 cup dried currants
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped candied lemon peel
- homemade candied lemon peel (click for recipe; VERY strongly recommend making your own for best flavor)
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt.In a separate larger mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolk and lemon zest and beat until combined. Add the brandy and beat until combined.Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until combined.Beat until it turns into a breadcrumb consistency. Now use your hands to knead it into a dough. If it's too dry to hold shape, add a little milk.Add the dried currants and candied lemon peel. Use your hands to incorporate them into the dough.
- Place the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out to an even thickness of 1/4 inch.Use a 2 1/2 or 3 inch biscuit/cookie cutter to cut out individual biscuits. Gather up the leftover dough, roll it back out to 1/4 inch thickness, and repeat until all of the dough is used.Transfer the biscuits to a lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven preheated to 350 F / 180 C for 10-12 minutes.Remove the biscuits from the oven and very lightly brush with the egg white.Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top. Brush one biscuit at a time, then sprinkle with sugar, then repeat for the other biscuits. This way the egg white won't begin to cook or dry out before you add the sugar (the egg white enables the sugar to adhere to the biscuit).Put the biscuits back in the oven and bake for another 6-8 minutes or until they're light golden.Let the biscuits sit for 3-5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.Store your Easter biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 2 weeks. They can also be frozen for at least 3 months.Makes roughly twenty 2 1/2 inch Easter biscuits.
Nutrition
Calories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 92mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!