Easter Biscuits Recipe

Easter really is just around the corner (only 5 weeks away), so I have dusted off my baking recipes and re-located this classic British biscuit (cookie) recipe for a fruited Easter biscuit flavoured with spices and that most expensive (and classically Easter-related) of spices, Saffron.

These biscuits are an excellent Easter treat and also make a great gift. You can also adapt them for Christmas by substituting mulled wine spice mix for the Easter spices.

Easter Biscuits

Makes: 12

Ingredients:

200g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice)
75g (3 oz) caster sugar
100g (1/2 cup) butter
1 medium egg, separated
50g currants
2 tbsp warm milk
pinch of saffron
caster sugar, for dusting

Method:

Crush the saffron into the milk and set aside.

Sift together the flour, salt and spice mix into a bowl.

Cream together the caster sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and beat well to combine.

Gently fold the flour into the creamed mixture, then work in the currants and milk. Bring the ingredients together to form a fairly soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll out thinly. Using a 7.5cm (3 in) round, fluted, cutter cut out rounds from the pastry, re-rolling where necessary.

Arrange the rounds on greased baking trays then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (360ºF, Gas Mark 6) and bake for 8 minutes.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush with the beaten egg white then sprinkle over the sugar. Return to the oven and bake for 3 minutes more, or until golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

For hundreds more Easter-related recipes, please see the Celtnet Easter Recipes pages.