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3. Mix together the flour and baking powder, sift and stir 2⁄3 of it into the butter, sugar and milk mixture, using a hand mixer at the medium setting. Knead the rest of the flour into the dough until it is smooth. Shape into cylinders 3 cm/11⁄4 in thick, then refrigerate until they become hard.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment. Cut the hardened rolls into slices about 1⁄2 cm/3⁄16 in thick and put on the baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet.
5. Remove the biscuits with the baking parchment from the baking sheet and leave to cool down on the baking parchment on a wire rack.
Tips: Roll the cylinders of dough in brown or white sugar before cutting into slices.
Stored in airtight containers, the biscuits will keep for about 3 weeks.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
35 | Terrace biscuits
For gifts (about 60 pieces/3 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 50 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 10 minutes per baking sheet
For the baking sheet:
baking parchment
For the shortcrust pastry:
300 g/10 oz (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium egg
150 g/5 oz (3⁄4 cup) soft butter or margarine
For the spread and dusting:
80 g/3 oz red jelly, such as redcurrant jelly
4 teaspoons icing (confectioner’s) sugar
Per piece:
P: 1 g, F: 2 g, C: 7 g, kJ: 207, kcal: 50
1. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl and add the other ingredients. Stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Then roll it into a ball using your hands. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment.
3. Roll out the dough in small amounts to a thickness of about 1⁄2 cm/3⁄16 in and cut out biscuits of similar shape and in similar numbers but in 3 different sizes (diameter 4 cm, 3 cm, 1.5 cm/ 21⁄2 in, 11⁄4 in, 5⁄8 in). Place the biscuits on the baking sheet lined with baking parchment and put in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 10 minutes per baking sheet.
4. Remove the biscuits together with the baking parchment from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack, still on the baking parchment, to cool down.
5. Stir the jelly to a smooth consistency. Coat the underside of the two smaller sized biscuits with this jelly and arrange terraced on top of the larger biscuit. Dust the biscuits with icing (confectioner’s) sugar.
Tip: Only bake biscuits of the same size on a baking sheet so that they brown evenly.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
36 | English butter biscuits
Good for preparing in advance (about 70 pieces/2 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 20 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 10 minutes per baking sheet
For the baking sheet:
baking parchment
For the shortcrust pastry:
200 g/7 oz (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) cane sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
125 g/41⁄2 oz (5⁄8 cup) soft butter
Per piece:
P: 1 g, F: 2 g, C: 4 g, kJ: 120, kcal: 29
1. To make the cake mixture, sift the plain (all-purpose) flour in a mixing bowl, add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then for 2 minutes at the highest setting. Then knead briefly on a lightly floured worktop.
2. Make cylinders 4 cm/21⁄2 in thick from the dough and refrigerate for about 2 hours until they have hardened sufficiently.
3. Preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment. Cut the cylinders into slices about 1⁄2 cm/3⁄16 in thick, put on the baking sheet and put it in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 10 minutes per baking sheet.
4. Take out of the oven, remove the biscuits from the baking sheet with the baking parchment and leave to cool down on wire rack..
Tip: Butter biscuits will keep for about 3 weeks in a well-sealed container.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
37 | Wine biscuits
Sophisticated (about 140 pieces/3 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 45 minutes
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet
For the baking sheet:
baking parchment
For the shortcrust pastry:
375 g/131⁄2 oz (33⁄4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder, 125 g/41⁄2 oz (5⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons white wine
200 g/7 oz (1 cup) soft butter
For the topping:
whites of 2 medium eggs
40 g/11⁄2 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar, some ground cinnamon,
50 g/2 oz blanched chopped almonds
Per piece:
P: 1 g, F: 1 g, C: 3 g, kJ: 113, kcal: 27
1. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl, add the other ingredients for the dough and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Then roll it into a ball using your hands. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment. Roll out the dough in small portions 1⁄2 cm/3⁄16 in thick, cut out with pastry cutter and put on the baking sheet.
3. To make the topping, beat the egg whites until they are very stiff. Spread the beaten egg whites thinly on the biscuits. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over the biscuits and scatter the almonds on top. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet.
4. Take out of the oven, remove the biscuits from the baking sheet with the baking parchment and leave to cool down on wire rack (still on the baking parchment).
Tip: If there is not enough egg white to go round, sprinkle the rest of the biscuits with cinnamon and sugar.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
38 | Fine almond biscuits
For guests–good for preparing in advance (about 100 pieces/3 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 30 minutes
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet
For the baking sheet:
baking parchment
For the shortcrust pastry:
375 g/131⁄2 oz (31⁄2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder, 125 g/41⁄2 oz (5⁄8 cup) sugar, 3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 pinch salt, 2 drops almond essence, grated zest of 1 untreated lemon, 1 medium egg
250 g/9 oz (11⁄2 cups) soft butter or margarine
100 g/31⁄2 oz blanched chopped almonds
For the coating:
150 g/5 oz plain chocolate
2 teaspoons cooking oil
Per piece:
1. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl, add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Then roll it into a ball using your hands. Roll the dough out to make a rectangle (22 x 14 cm/81⁄2 x 51⁄2 in) and refrigerate overnight.
2. The following day, preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment. Cut the dough into strips (of 22 x 3.5 cm/81⁄2 x 13⁄8 in), then cut the strips into slices 1⁄2–1 cm/3⁄16–3⁄8 in wide and put on the baking sheet.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet.
3. Take out of the oven, remove the biscuits from the baking sheet with the baking parchment and leave to cool down on a wire rack.
4. To make the chocolate coating, coarsely chop the chocolate and melt together with the oil in a bain-marie over low heat, stirring continuously. Half-dip the cooled biscuits into the melted chocolate, put back on the baking parchment and leave the chocolate to set.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
39 | Nut triangles
Classic–For guests (about 140 pieces)
Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 25 minutes
For a baking sheet (40 x 30 cm/16 x 12 in):
some fat
aluminium foil
For the shortcrust pastry:
225 g/8 oz (21⁄4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium egg
yolk of 1 medium egg
100 g/31⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) soft butter or margarine
For the topping:
2 tablespoons apricot preserve
150 g/5 oz (3⁄4 cup) butter
150 g/5 oz (3⁄4 cup) sugar
6 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons water
100 g/31⁄2 oz ground hazelnut kernels
200 g/7 oz flaked hazelnut kernels
For the coating:
200 g/7 oz plain chocolate
Per piece:
P: 1 g, F: 3 g, C: 4 g, kJ: 204, kcal: 49
1. Preheat the oven and grease the baking sheet.
2. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl and add the other ingredients. Stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Then roll it into a cylinder using your hands. Roll out the dough on the greased baking sheet.
3. For the topping, spread the jam on the dough. Melt the butter together with the sugar, vanilla sugar and water in a pan, stirring continuously. Add the ground and flaked hazelnut kernels to the mixture and stir well. Leave the mixture to cool down a little and spread evenly over the dough. Put a piece of aluminium foil for the dough to make an edge. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 25 minutes per baking sheet.
4. Leave the biscuits to cool down on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack. Cut into squares (4 x 4 cm/21⁄2 x 21⁄2 in) and then cut diagonally into triangles.
5. To make the coating, coarsely chop the chocolate and melt in a bain-marie over low heat while stirring. Dip the two pointed corners of the triangles into the melted chocolate and allow to set.
Tips: Instead of the dipping the corners of the triangles in the melted chocolate, you can spatter the triangles with the melted chocolate after cutting up. But then use only 100 g/31⁄2 oz chocolate.
Stored in air-tight container, the biscuits will keep for about 2 weeks.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
40 | Leipziger Lerchen (typical Saxon speciality)
Good for preparing in advance (12 pieces)
Preparation time: about 30 minutes
Baking time: about 25 minutes
For 12 moulds (bottom diameter about 4 cm/11⁄2 in, top about 8 cm/3 in, depth 3–4 cm/11⁄4–11⁄2 in):
some fat
For the shortcrust pastry:
200 g/7 oz (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1⁄2 level teaspoon baking powder
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt
4 teaspoons water
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) soft butter or margarine
100 g/31⁄2 oz apricot preserve
For the filling:
80 g/3 oz (generous 3⁄8 cup) soft butter
125 g/41⁄2 oz (5⁄8 cup) sugar
1 pinch salt, 1 medium egg
white of 1 medium egg
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
125 g/41⁄2 oz blanched ground almonds
1 drop almond essence
3 tablespoons milk
4 teaspoons rum
For the spread:
yolk of 1 medium egg
1 teaspoon milk
Per piece:
P: 6 g, F: 20 g, C: 41 g, kJ: 1547, kcal: 370
1. Preheat the oven and grease the small fluted moulds.
2. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl, add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Then roll it into a ball using your hands.
3. Roll out the dough thinly and cut out 12 circles (diameter about 10 cm/4 in) and line the greased moulds with it. Using the rest of the dough, cut out 12 small stars and put to one side. Now put 1 tablespoonful jam in each of the moulds.
4. To make the filling, stir the softened butter in a mixing bowl to obtain a smooth consistency, using a hand mixer. Add the sugar, salt, egg and egg white and stir well. Sift the flour and add with the almonds, almond essence, milk and rum to the butter mixture and stir well. Put this mixture in the moulds and decorate each with a star . Beat together the egg yolk and milk and coat the stars with it. Place the moulds on a shelf in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 25 minutes.
5. Leave the tartlets in the moulds for 10 minutes, then take out of the moulds and put on a wire rack to cool down.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
41 | Berliner Bobbes (typical Berlin speciality)
Classic–good for preparing in advance (20 pieces)
Preparation time: about 45 minutes, excluding cooling time
Baking time: about 15 minutes
baking parchment
For the shortcrust pastry:
375 g/131⁄2 oz (33⁄4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
40 g/11⁄2 oz (5 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
1 level teaspoon baking powder
150 g/5 oz (3⁄4 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
2 drops lemon essence
3 yolks of medium eggs
250 g/9 oz (11⁄4 cups) soft butter, 1 pinch salt
For the filling:
100 g/31⁄2 oz blanched chopped almonds
200 g/7 oz marzipan
60 g/2 oz (1⁄4 cup) sugar
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) rum, 100 g/31⁄2 oz sultanas, 100 g/31⁄2 oz candied orange peel
For the crumble:
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) sugar
1 pinch ground cinnamon
50 g/2 oz (4
tablespoons) soft butter
white of 1 medium egg
icing (confectioner’s) sugar
Per piece:
P: 5 g, F: 20 g, C: 40 g, kJ: 1564, kcal: 374
1. To make the dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, sift into a mixing bowl, add the other ingredients and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting until the dough is formed. Then roll it into a ball using your hands. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
2. To make the filling, roast the almonds in a pan without fat until golden brown and put on a plate to cool down. Cut the marzipan finely, put in a mixing bowl, add the sugar and rum and stir with a hand mixer with whisk until the mixture has become easy to spread.
3. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half on a floured work top to make a rectangle 35 x 30 cm (14 x 12 in) and cover with the marzipan mixture. Sprinkle the sultanas, roast almonds and candied orange peel on top. Roll up the dough loosely, starting with the longer edge, and refrigerate the rolls for about 20–30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment.
4. To make the crumble, sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon and softened butter and whisk with a hand mixer with whisk until the crumble has the right consistency. Coat the rolls with egg white and sprinkle the crumble on top. Press the crumble down lightly. Cut each roll into 10 pieces each 3.5 cm/13⁄8 in wide and put upright on the baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15 minutes.
5. Put the baking sheet on wire rack and leave the pastries to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Tip: Berliner Bobbes will keep fresh for 3–4 days in an airtight container.