The CCB (Caked Crusader’s Brother) and I had the following conversation this week:
CCB: I’ve been pondering your site and have come to the conclusion that there aren’t enough biscuits on it.
Me: Well, I am the Caked Crusader, not the Crumbed Crusader. Plus, making biscuits never really thrills me in the same way making cake does.
CCB: I think you should have more biscuits on the site; biscuits are very popular and you need to ensure your mix of recipes appeals to a wide audience. I like eating biscuits – they’re easier to eat than cake.
Me: So what you’re actually saying is that you want me to make biscuits because you want them, not because you’re concerned about the ‘balance’ of recipes on my site?
CCB: Yes. Furthermore, any of my future observations re your site will be made on this basis.
So I’m making biscuits this week. Here they are all dressed up and ready to go:
Well, I call them biscuits but they’re more like a halfway house between a crumbly Viennese biscuit and a cupcake. I liked the way they were made into little rounds rather than the more usual finger shaped Viennese. The delicious crumbly melt-in-the-mouth quality means you really could eat loads of these and then wonder why you feel a bit full!
The dough is soft enough to pipe:
When the biscuits are ready to bake, chilling them for 30 minutes will help them keep their shape in the oven.
The recipe filled them with raspberry jam but any flavour of jam would work, as would something a bit naughtier like Nutella. I made 6 with jam, 6 with Nutella. It’s a tough decision (Notice my cool Spongebob Squarepants cupcake cases!):
The Nutella looked good...
...but then the jam looked mighty fine too...
OK, I’ve decided, it’s got to be Nutella!
Ingredients:
For the biscuit cupcakes:
175g unsalted butter
60g caster sugar
150g plain flour
30g cornflour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the topping:
4-5 teaspoons raspberry jam or Nutella
Icing sugar, for dusting
How to make:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
- Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cases.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the flour, cornflour and vanilla.
- Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe circles into the paper cases. I used a large star icing nozzle.
- Chill for 20 minutes or so – this ensures that the piped biscuits will retain their shape during baking.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until a light golden colour. Mine took 25 minutes.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- To finish the biscuits, fill the centre holes with jam.
- Dust with icing sugar. I often say this is optional but for these, I really think it finishes them off and makes them look so pretty.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.
CCB: I’ve been pondering your site and have come to the conclusion that there aren’t enough biscuits on it.
Me: Well, I am the Caked Crusader, not the Crumbed Crusader. Plus, making biscuits never really thrills me in the same way making cake does.
CCB: I think you should have more biscuits on the site; biscuits are very popular and you need to ensure your mix of recipes appeals to a wide audience. I like eating biscuits – they’re easier to eat than cake.
Me: So what you’re actually saying is that you want me to make biscuits because you want them, not because you’re concerned about the ‘balance’ of recipes on my site?
CCB: Yes. Furthermore, any of my future observations re your site will be made on this basis.
So I’m making biscuits this week. Here they are all dressed up and ready to go:
Well, I call them biscuits but they’re more like a halfway house between a crumbly Viennese biscuit and a cupcake. I liked the way they were made into little rounds rather than the more usual finger shaped Viennese. The delicious crumbly melt-in-the-mouth quality means you really could eat loads of these and then wonder why you feel a bit full!
The dough is soft enough to pipe:
When the biscuits are ready to bake, chilling them for 30 minutes will help them keep their shape in the oven.
The recipe filled them with raspberry jam but any flavour of jam would work, as would something a bit naughtier like Nutella. I made 6 with jam, 6 with Nutella. It’s a tough decision (Notice my cool Spongebob Squarepants cupcake cases!):The Nutella looked good...
...but then the jam looked mighty fine too...
OK, I’ve decided, it’s got to be Nutella!Ingredients:
For the biscuit cupcakes:
175g unsalted butter
60g caster sugar
150g plain flour
30g cornflour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the topping:
4-5 teaspoons raspberry jam or Nutella
Icing sugar, for dusting
How to make:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
- Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cases.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the flour, cornflour and vanilla.
- Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe circles into the paper cases. I used a large star icing nozzle.
- Chill for 20 minutes or so – this ensures that the piped biscuits will retain their shape during baking.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until a light golden colour. Mine took 25 minutes.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- To finish the biscuits, fill the centre holes with jam.
- Dust with icing sugar. I often say this is optional but for these, I really think it finishes them off and makes them look so pretty.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.
Such a sweet sister. Listen to your brohter. You made a good compromise.
ReplyDeleteAwe you are such a sweet sister indeed!! I am pleased because those biscuits look rather yummy!!
ReplyDeleteRosie x
I daren't make these because I am totally addicted to them and end up eating the lot!!
ReplyDelete