I feel your pain.Check out the "scones" thread.I can't make them to save myself.Not too much trouble with biscuits though, usually pretty good with just the occasional flop/failure/disaster!
jascas,
Sep 7, 8:09am
This is s great biscuit recipe - no creaming required and they don't spread too much: Chocolate Cornflake Biscuits 150g butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chocolate drops 2 cups cornflakes ( I crush them a little bit)
Melt butter in a large saucepan on the stove or large bowl in microwave. Stir in sugar.Cool.Stir in egg and vanilla essence.Sift flour and baking and stir into butter mixture with chocolate chips and cornflakes.Combine well.Break off tablespoons of dough and placed on greased oven trays.Press top of biscuits lightly with a fork. Bake at 180 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes Makes 24
schnauzer11,
Sep 7, 8:24am
Re:any baking failures-remember to have fresh Baking-powder,it only lasts a few weeks before losing it's oomph.Chuck,and replace.
kinna54,
Sep 7, 11:26am
Well said buzzy, and I still use my really old version of the Edmonds book, the new one is different! Still can't go past the good old vanilla biccies (replace the sultanas with choc chips) and the shrewsbury biccies, never fail!
kinna54,
Sep 7, 11:32am
schnauzer11 wrote: Re:any baking failures-remember to have fresh Baking-powder,it only lasts a few weeks before losing it's oomph.Chuck,and replace.[/quote
Yep, this is the one item I never replace with a budget variety, I do insist on buying Edmonds, and it does keep longer, (let's face it you only use a tsp or 2 per bake so you need it to stay fresh, and who can afford to waste ingredients, false economy to scrimp on this item) a tip I learnt years ago is to always shake the container lightly to "activate" the rising agent in the baking powder ingredients, and stir the contents gently before measuring.
bev00,
Oct 3, 9:31am
recycling for tips and recipes
matuq,
Oct 3, 4:42pm
Aha!Thx!I've often wondered about that.Does it still lose its "oomph" even though you keep lids tightly sealed!
rainrain1,
Oct 3, 6:51pm
Jelly Bean Biscuits Recipe from local paper
1/2 cup sugar 75gr butter or margerine 1 pkt chocolate (or other) instant pudding 1 egg 3/4 cup flour 1 tsp BP jelly beans
Method Cream butter and sugar, add instant pudding, than eggs and dry ingredients.Put in spoonfuls on baking paper on cold tray then press with fork.Put one jellybean on top of each biscuit, pressing in firmly.Bake 15 minutes at 180degC.
terachaos,
Oct 3, 8:26pm
I seriously can't make biscuits either.however I came across Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall(sp!) Choc chip/chunk cookies and they are awesome to make and so easy that I make 1-2 batches every week. They do spread out on the baking tray so I need to remember to spread them out, and end up making 2-3 trays. They are so no-fail. His quote is that if you like chunky chocolate use bigger chunks which I do. I made them with good quality dark chocolate but discovered that the new white/raspberry chocolate works too. I can post the link if interested.
daisybel,
Oct 3, 10:39pm
I can personally say that the recipes here for biscuits work well http.www.foodlovers.co.nz - go to recipes and search biscuits if you are hesitant I would suggest trying something basic like a chocolate chip biscuit first off. With self raising flour - make sure you give the bag a good shake before using to ensure that the raising agent is evenly distributed.
matuq,
Oct 5, 7:32pm
Interested, please:o)
olwen,
Oct 5, 8:14pm
Consistency of the butter is important.It's not melted, preferably a nice spreading butter.Just warming it a little is good.In the days before microwaves we put hard butter in a bowl inside another bowl that had warm water to stop it being too hard.
hesian,
Oct 5, 9:38pm
This is easiest biscuit recipe I know and I use a food processor.Makes a light texture biscuit.
125 gm butter (I always use butter and dont know if it works with substitute) 1/2 C sugar 1 C self raising flour (or plain with 1t baking powder added) 1 and half C cornflakes 1/8th t salt.
Put cornflakes into bowl and whizz.(I forgot to whizz first one day and it still was ok ) Then throw in everything else and whizz hard. Put spoonfuls on greased baking tray and flatten with fork.
Bake 10 mins at 180.
Easy to double this recipe. Can substitute cornflakes with bran flakes orother flake type cereal.I often use up stale ones eg millet or rice flake type. Havent forgotten egg - it doesnt need egg.Good luck.
very_hotpants,
Oct 5, 10:10pm
Make the dough using the above tips and then wrap in wrap and child for a few hours and then roll in to balls and squash down and bake. Next is getting the cooking time right - have a peek under the biscut if light brown is ready.
If they sit in a lump, too much flour.Spread out and join up, too much butter.Biscuits are also better using standard oven, not fan bake.
macandrosie,
Oct 7, 5:26am
I agree with others who have said there are lots of elements that affect the final outcome. Whether you fan bake or just bake, whether the recipe has eggs or not, personally I think they spread better without eggs,temperature of the oven. I guess you have to know your oven, whether it cooks a little hot (with fanbake I think you can afford to turn the heat back a little) whether youcook with butter or margarine. These are some factors that affect the overall outcome. My motherinlaw says biscuits cook in a cool oven like 130C butI don't entirely agree. Different temps for different recipes.I have a large oven & always fanbake my biscuits. Three quarters of the way through I change the trays around top to bottom, to finish them off. The following isa newer recipe but is successful. Also I think biscuits spread better being cooked with butter rather than margarine. Honey Biscuits: Melt: 250gr butter 1 cup sugar 2 tabs honey Add: 2 tsp baking soda 2 cups cornflakes 2 cups flour Mix altogether, & place small spoonful’s onto a lined tray. Roll into balls & press flat with a fork.Fan bake @ 150C for about 10-15 mins. THese are yummy so hope they work for you & you enjoy them!
dalkemade,
Oct 8, 6:56am
To Jascas--A great recipe. Many thanks
annie.nz,
Oct 9, 12:14am
To prevent spread: 1.don't have the butter really soft, just enough to get it mixed ok 2.don't overcream butter and sugar for biscuits, just combine well 3.don't add too much liquid - dough should be fairly stiff 4.good idea to put them on the tray and stick in fridge for up to an hour before you put them in the oven.
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