Spiced Biscuits Food

SPICE BISCUITS (COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C (170C for fan ovens), 350F, gas mark 4 and grease a baking sheet or cookie sheet.
• Beat the softened butter with the caster sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add egg yolks and beat to combine.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, mixed spice and cinnamon and whisk (or sieve).
• Stir the spiced flour into the egg, butter and sugar mixture and knead lightly on a floured board to bring the dough together.
• Roll out dough to 0.5cm (quarter of an inch) thickness on a floured board or surface and cut out into 2 inch rounds or whatever shapes you desire; Do not reroll dough too many times or biscuits will be tough.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until very lightly browned at the edges then use a spatula to transfer biscuits to a wire rack to cool.
• Store in an airtight container to retain crispness.

SPICED BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon of the za'atar, the sugar and salt in a medium bowl using a whisk. Using a bowl scraper or your fingers, mix in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal; using your fingers will create a more cake-like texture. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Stir until just combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 5 or 6 times. Roll the dough into a 1-inch-thick disc and cut out biscuits using a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Make sure you don't twist the cutter otherwise you'll squish the sides and the biscuit won't rise. Knead the scraps together, re-roll and cut out biscuits until all the dough has been used.
• Place the biscuits bottom-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the vegetable oil with the remaining 1 tablespoon za'atar and brush the mixture on each biscuit. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

SPICED LEMON & GINGER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Mix the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon. Stir in the spices, lemon zest and flour, then tip in the candied lemon peel and stem ginger - you might need to get your hands in to bring the mix together as a dough. Divide the dough in two and shape each half into a log about 5cm across. Wrap in cling film, then chill for 1 hr. You can freeze the unbaked dough for up to three months.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice the logs into 1cm-thick rounds, place on two baking trays lined with baking parchment and bake for 12-15 mins. Leave to cool completely on the tray.
• Mix the lemon juice with the icing sugar to make a thin glaze. Brush over the biscuits and leave to set. Will keep for three days in an airtight container.

CHRISTMAS BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the sugar, golden syrup and butter until melted. Mix the spices and flour in a large bowl. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 1 tsp cold water. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the melted sugar mix, egg and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well. At this stage the mix will be soft but will firm up on cooling.
• Cover the surface of the biscuit mix with wrapping and leave to cool, then put in the fridge for at least 1 hr to become firm enough to roll out.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. (At this stage the dough can be put into a food bag and kept in the fridge for up to a week.) Cut the dough in half. Thinly roll out one half on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes with cutters, such as gifts, trees and hearts, then transfer to baking sheets, leaving a little room for them to spread. If you plan to hang the biscuits up, make a small hole in the top of each one using a skewer. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake for 12-15 mins until they darken slightly. If the holes you have made have closed up, remake them while the biscuits are warm and soft using a skewer. Cool for a few mins on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool and harden up completely.
• Break up the chocolate and melt in the microwave on Medium for 1-2 mins, or in a small heatproof bowl over simmering water. Drizzle the chocolate over the biscuits, or pipe on shapes or names, then stick a few silver balls into the chocolate. If hung up on the tree, the biscuits will be edible for about a week, but will last a lot longer as decorations.

CHAI SPICED BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C and line or grease a baking tray.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter, sugar and syrup over a medium heat. Remove to cool once everything has melted and dissolved. Add the flour and chai spices into the pan and whisk until it forms a dough.
• After letting the dough cool slightly, roll it into small balls between your palms and place them onto the tray. Flour your hands so the mixture doesn't stick and press each ball with a fork to squash it a little.
• Bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes until the Chai Spiced Biscuits are golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.