Mon, 22 April 2024
INGREDIENTS
For the biscuits:
• 115 g (4 oz) butter, at room temperature
• 45 g (1¼ oz) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
• 115 g (4 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 30 g (1 oz) self-raising (self-rising) flour
• 30 g (1 oz) cornflour (cornstarch), plus extra for dusting
For the decoration:
• a selection of flowers and leaves to colour the icing (frosting), such as dried hibiscus (pink), butterfly pea flowers (blue & purple), fresh sorrel (green), dried cornflower petals (blue and purple), gorse petals (yellow) or calendula petals (orange)
• about 15 small pressed flowers, such as daisies, primroses and violas
• 150–250 g (5½–9 oz) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, depending on how many colours you want to make
• 150 g (5½ oz) jam or jelly of your choice
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/335ºF/Gas 3 ½ . Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone mats.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer or by hand until well mixed, but not light and fluffy as you would for a cake. Sift the three flours together into another bowl, making sure they are well mixed. Add half the flour to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated, then add the rest of the flour and mix to a dough.
3. If the dough feels soft, put it in a plastic bag or airtight box in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
4. Dust your work surface with cornflour and roll out the dough until it is 2 mm (1/8 in) thick. The dough is quite delicate, so you may find it easier to divide it in half for rolling. Cut out biscuits using a 6.5 cm (2½ in) cutter with a fluted edge, if you have one, or a suitably sized glass. Transfer the biscuits to the baking sheets, spacing them 2 cm (3/4 in) apart, then re-roll any scraps and cut out more biscuits. Lightly prick each biscuit a couple of times with a fork to stop any air bubbles and keep them nice and flat. (Be sure to make an even number, otherwise you’ll have one left after sandwiching the biscuits together.)
5. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Check after 10 minutes and rotate the trays if the biscuits are browning unevenly. Cool on a wire rack.
6. Now choose your colours and make the icing. For pink, put a couple of dried hibiscus flowers in a jug (pitcher) with 2 tbsp boiling water, leave to infuse (steep) for 10 minutes, then strain. Put 50 g (1¾ oz) icing sugar in a small bowl. Add the hibiscus water very gradually, a few drops at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you have a smooth but quite thick glacé icing. It’s always best to add less rather than more liquid, as you can add a few more drops if you find it is too thick when you are icing the biscuits. If the icing is too thin it will run off the sides of the biscuits, but you can add more icing sugar to thicken it.
7. For green, put a small handful of sorrel leaves in a food processor or blender with 100 ml (3½ fl. Oz) water and blend until fully combined. Strain through a fine sieve (strainer), then gradually mix a few drops with 50 g (1¾ oz) icing sugar, as in step 6.
8. For pale blue and purple, put 1 tbsp dried cornflower petals and 2 tbsp icing sugar in a spice grinder or small food processor and whizz together until powdery. Gradually add cold water as in step 6.
9. For orange, put 1 tbsp dried calendula petals and 2 tbsp icing sugar in a spice grinder or small food processor and whizz together until powdery. Gradually add cold water as in step 6.
10. Carefully dollop about 1 tsp icing on to the middle of half of the biscuits; if it is the right consistency it will spread a little but not run off the edge. Working quickly, before the icing sets, put a pressed flower on top of each dollop of icing. When the icing is set, spread 1 tsp jam or jelly on the back of the un-iced biscuits and carefully sandwich each with an iced cookie. These biscuits are best eaten the day they are made, as the jam tends to make them a bit soggy after a while, but they will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container.
NOTES
• Order dried hibiscus flowers online or from Asian, Middle Eastern or Mexican supermarkets.
• You can grow sorrel leaves, or forage for them if you know what you are looking for; they are also sometimes available in good greengrocers. They have a lovely lemony, green-apple flavour and make a delicious icing (frosting).
