Reviving tradition: The charm of homemade buttery biscuits
Nowadays, we are much more inclined to buy ready-made biscuits, which are abundant on supermarket shelves. Before gingerbread season arrived, my grandmother made buttery biscuits with marmalade. They were the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea—and they remain so today.
Homemade buttery biscuits are far more delicious than store-bought ones, thanks to the right quantity of real butter, which can vary greatly in commercial products. The shortcrust pastry created at home is so delectable that the biscuits can be enjoyed plain, without any additions. However, my grandmother had a preference for marmalade.
Homemade biscuits are the best
The basic recipe for shortcrust biscuits remains unchanged: flour, sugar, and butter. However, there are numerous ways to enhance their flavour. For example, you can incorporate cinnamon, coconut shavings, or cocoa. They also taste splendid when adorned with a chocolate glaze. My grandmother prepared them in various styles, but those with thick marmalade were indisputably the most popular. The marmalade stayed well on the biscuit and didn't melt. My grandmother used mixed fruit, rose, or blackcurrant marmalade.
Shortcrust biscuits with marmalade
Ingredients:
- 11 oz flour,
- 2 oz potato starch,
- 7 oz butter,
- 4 egg yolks,
- 3.5 oz icing sugar,
- vanilla extract to taste (optional),
- thick marmalade.
Preparation method:
- Cream the softened butter for 10 minutes. Gradually add the icing sugar, followed by the egg yolks, one at a time.
- Incorporate the plain flour and potato starch, along with the vanilla extract if using. Mix thoroughly with a spatula; you may also knead the dough briefly.
- Next, roll out the dough and cut out the biscuits with cutters, or shape them by hand. Simply tear off pieces of dough, form them into small balls, and flatten them. Adorn the biscuits with marmalade; you may also use a piping bag for this purpose.
- Place the biscuits on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in an oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown.
