There are endless possibilities for using these deliciously crunchy biscuits on your chilled desserts, adapting their shape as you like.

 

For 12-16 biscuits:   110g sugar 30g egg white(1medium egg) 20g plain flour 1 baking tray 40x30cm waxed baking parchment

 

 

 

 

 

  

Préparation: 10 min. 
Cooking time: 10 min. 
Cooling time: 10 min.

 

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C.
2. Mix the egg white with the sugar – do not whip.  Add the flour to achieve a thick cream. 
   
3. Line the baking tray with the baking paper.  Spread mixture evenly over it.  
   
4. Cook in centre of oven for 10 mins. 
   
5. Remove from the oven, place another sheet of greased baking paper on top and flatten using a rolling pin.  Do not press too hard; the aim is to smooth the surface. 
   
6. Leave to cool on the tray , then remove the paper ,rolling it back as you go.  As the biscuit cools and hardens, cracks will appear on the surface.  Now all you have to do is break it into pieces. 
   
7. Variation 1:    to make ovals, spread the mixture in well-spaced oval heaps and repeat the flattening and smoothing process as described above. 
   
8. Variation 2 :    add food colouring to the mixture to obtain coloured biscuits.  The mixture can be divided into 2 or 3 parts and a variety of colours obtained  by adding different colours.

 

 

They can be kept for up to 2 weeks in a sealed tin.

These crunchy Belgian biscuits are perfect with coffee.

 

For 55 spéculoos:   170g demerara sugar 170g butter melted and  allowed to cool 1 medium egg 290g plain flour 4g cinnamon (1tsp) 1 pinch cloves 2 pinches nutmeg 5g bicarbonate of soda 2g saltl (1 pinch) Baking parchment  Baking tray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dough is made the previous day.
Preparation 20mins.

 

 

• In a large bowl, mix the prepared butter with the Demerara sugar.  Add the egg, mixing well.
• Mix all the dry ingredients, and add to the egg mixture, mixing with a fork for a couple of minutes till the dough forms a softish ball.
  
• Lay the dough on a sheet of baking parchment, form into a long rectangular sausage (depending on the desired shape of the biscuits).  Wrap firmly in the baking paper and refrigerate overnight.
  
• Preheat oven to 180°.
  
• Cut into thin 5-6mm slices and lay onto the baking tray lined with baking parchment.
• Cook for 15mins till the surface is hard.  The speculoos will harden further as they cool.

 

 

These biscuits may be kept for up to a month in a sealed tin.

 

I’m sure you are familiar with these Scottish biscuits, which you can find in the supermarket in their distinctive tartan tins.  They are delicious and very easy to make.

 

For  25 biscuits :   400g flour 250g semisalted butter 125g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 baking sheet 30×40cm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• The success of this recipe depends on the quality of the butter you use.  Ideally, choose a farmhouse butter or if not, an organic semi salted butter.  If you can only find unsalted butter, add a level teaspoon of salt to the mixture.  
  The butter should be soft but not liquid.  
  
• Preheat the oven to 150° .
• Mix the flour and the sugar together in a large bowl
• Add the butter in small pieces and the vanilla essence.  Mix well and knead for about 10 minutes to form a ball of smooth dough.  
  
• Cover the baking sheet with baking parchment.  Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm.  
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• Prick with a fork to divide the dough into 25 rectangles (see photo). 
  
• Bake for 30 minutes, the shortbread should not remain pale in colour.   
• While they are warm, cut the shortbread with a knife, then allow to cool and harden on the baking sheet.
• These shortbread biscuits should keep 15 days in a tin. 

 

 

Variation; you can use a pastry cutter or glass to cut the biscuits into rounds. 

 

 

 

With a soft crumbly texture

 

Makes 35 à 40 biscuits:   250g flour 125g caster sugar 125g softened butter,  cut into small pieces   zest of 1 lemon 1 pinch of salt 1 small egg(50g) icing(optional): white of a small egg 60g icing sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and butter.  Rub the fat into the flour.  Make sure that you don’t work the mixture for longer than 5 minutes or the butter will become too soft in contact with your fingers. This can also be done in a food mixer:  stop before the mixture binds together and becomes a dough.  
  
• Mix in the egg to obtain a smooth dough.   If you’re using a food mixer, this will take 30 seconds.
  Shape the dough into a ball, place it between tow sheets of floured baking parchment and roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 5 or 6 mm.  Place it on a baking sheet, still within the sheets of baking parchment, and refrigerate for an hour.  
  
• Preheat the oven to 160°.
  
• The dough will be firm after an hour and easier to cut.  Remove the baking parchment and cut different shapes, such as stars, moons or hearts.  Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with fresh baking parchment and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
  
• Leave to cool, then sprinkle with icing sugar .
• Variation: For those of you who are brave enough, instead of sprinkling with icing sugar, you can decorate them with a royal icing:
• In a bowl, mix 20g of egg white with 60g icing sugar, whisk it briskly with a fork. Then simply coat each biscuit with a brushful of the icing mixture.   
  
• Leave to harden overnight.   

 

 

 

Moons: