This is an American recipe so maybe I should say cookie, but to me a cookie is a slightly soft affair, thick and full of chocolate chips. These biscuits are as crisp and delicious as their French "
twice baked" namesake but much easier to make. They don't spread out, so your cute cutters will work like a charm with them, great for making with the children and perfect for the children to decorate.
I have Anglicized and tweaked the recipe a bit but the American version can be found
here. I have made these several times now and the flexibility with the flavouring, along with the ability to keep a shape, has swiftly made them my 'go to' recipe.
You will need:
420g self raising flour (you can substitute a little of the flour with cocoa powder for a chocolate biscuit)
200g sugar
220g butter, cut into chunks
1 egg
A few drops of vanilla essence
Cream together the sugar and butter, add the egg and vanilla and mix. Gradually add the flour and stir in until combined. You can add chocolate chips at this stage, a handful or two to add some fun to your biscuits.
The dough will be crumbly, and you will need to knead it together with your hands and then scoop it out of the bowl for rolling out, treat it gently or your biscuits will be tough.
Roll the biscuit dough on a floured surface to about half a cm thick, and cut into shapes. (I do this in several goes as there is a lot of dough! You could also chill some of the dough to use the next day)
Place on parchment or silicone lined baking sheets and bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
When cool decorate with icing, sweets or sprinkles. Ready made tubes of coloured icing are great for children to use! No mixing mess and small tubes are handy for little hands.
Other options include adding dried fruit to make a sort of Shrewsbury biscuit, some dessicated coconut works too, or adding spices and ginger for a tasty bite. Experiment, have fun with flavours!
