Kit you’ll need: shaped biscuit cutters, about 7cm; 2 baking sheets, lined with baking paper
200g plain flour pinch of salt
grated zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon, plus 1 teaspoon juice 150g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
60g caster sugar TO FINISH 1 egg white
shimmer sugar, demerara sugar OR granulated sugar, for sprinkling fine ribbon for hanging (optional)
1.
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and mix in the lemon zest with your hand. Add the diced butter and cut into the flour with a round-bladed knife until the butter is reduced to rubble-like pieces. Now use your fingertips to rub* the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the sugar and mix in with your hand. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the crumbs in the bowl, then gently work and press the dough together with your hand to make a ball.2.
Turn out the dough on to the worktop and form into a thick disc. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and chill for 15 minutes until firm.3.
Unwrap the dough and place it between 2 sheets of clingfilm. Roll out to about 5mm thickness (if thinner than this, the baked biscuits will be very fragile). Peel off the top layer of clingfilm, then stamp out shapes using floured cutters. Transfer the shapes to the baking sheets, spacing them apart to allow for spreading. Gather up the dough trimmings, re-roll and cut out more shapes. Cover the shapes lightlywith clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes.
4.
Towards the end of the chilling time, heat your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.5.
Uncover the shapes. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork just until slightly frothy, then brush it lightly over the shapes. Sprinkle with the sugar of your choice. If you are going to use the biscuits as decorations, make a hole (large enough to thread ribbon through) about 1cm from the top of each biscuit using a skewer.6.
Bake in the heated oven for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and very carefully use the skewer to enlarge and re-shape the hole (it will have closed up during baking) in each biscuit. Leave to firm up on the baking sheets for 3–4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.TIFFIN
Another indulgent treat, this ‘fridge’ cake is made with good dark chocolate and home-baked biscuits spiked with chunks of spicy ginger and bright pistachios. If you make it at Easter, try decorating it with tiny sugar eggs. If you don’t have a loose-based sandwich tin you can line a regular sandwich tin, or a springclip tin, with clingfilm to cover the base and
side so the chilled cake can be easily lifted out.
Makes 12
Kit you’ll need: 1 x 20.5cm round, deep, loose-based sandwich tin, brushed with sunflower oil
100g pistachios
250g dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), broken up 100g unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons golden syrup
75g stem ginger (about 3 lumps), well drained
200g Wholemeal Biscuits (see here) OR shop-bought digestive biscuits TO FINISH
cocoa powder, for dusting
small chocolate or sugar Easter eggs, to decorate
1.
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. While the oven is heating put the pistachios in a small pan and add cold water just to cover. Set over medium heat and bring to the boil, then drain thoroughly. Tip the nuts on to kitchen paper and rub gently to remove the papery brown skin.2.
Transfer the nuts to a small baking dish or tin and toast in the heated oven for 5–6 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool. You can turn off the oven now.3.
Put the pieces of chocolate into a heatproof bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the diced butter and golden syrup and set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water – the base of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water. Leave to melt gently, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.4.
As soon as the mixture is melted and smooth, remove the bowl from the pan.Chop the ginger as fine or as chunky as you like and add to the chocolate. Set
aside 20g of the best-looking pistachios (for the decoration) and add the rest to the chocolate. Stir gently to combine.
5.
Break up the biscuits into thumbnail-sized pieces (use your hands, not a food processor as you don’t want a heap of crumbs) and add to the chocolate. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined, then tip the mixture into the greased tin and spread it evenly – try not to compress the mixture but leave it looking a bit craggy rather than smooth and neat. Scatter the reserved pistachios over the top.Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 3 hours – overnight if possible – until firm and set.