Sedgemoor Easter Biscuits Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

D.B

I have made these a few times now and they are a favorite. I use parchment paper to roll a log with the dough then chill it so I can slice and bake. I use a spoon to swirl the glaze on top. Is it Easter yet? ;-)

Rosie

I made these 2 days ago and they are great. I followed the recipe exactly (except I streaked the icing across the cookies instead of covering the whole thing) and they're yummy. They are even grandson approved!

Variations

DRIED cranberries, not fried. Note to self: always proofread before hitting the "send" key.

Variations

Sub orange or apple juice for the brandy and rough-chopped raisins (any color) or fried cranberries for the currants.

David Look

From Florence: You can use a food processor in Step 2 but when you add the butter it's best to pulse the mixture to get the crumbly consistency, not just let it rip.

Virginia

These biscuits are absolutely delicious and delightful, something you'd expect to show up in a Jane Austen novel. The dough was sticky but chilling first and rolling on floured board helped. Don't roll too thinly or the biscuit gets dry. The biggest issue was the bottoms burned so I cooked second batch for 20 min. only.

Baba

I usually use dried unsweetened cranberries in place of red and black currants as they are not readily available in the States. Most likely this recipe calls for red/black currants since it's based on a British recipe and not the Zante currants which are raisins (and more readily available here).

http://www.currantc.com/ (To buy dried currants.)

http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-raisins-sultanas-a...

MLF

This recipe is a keeper! I too, rolled the dough into a log, chilled and sliced and baked. I used a pastry brush for the glaze. These are fantastic and were a big hit with friends and family.

Rita

Can regular whole wheat / white flour be used instead of the pastry type ?

Harold

dough definitely needs to be chilled before cutting, shaping. great recipe.

Metrically Speaking

Barb, the currants used are Zante style. In Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand they are just called currants or dried currants. They have a distinct taste compared to other dried grapes (raisins and sultanas).Black, red and white currants are always written about with the colour reference. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them sold dried, just fresh or in jams and cordials. Bet they’re good dried too!

Pat Johnson

So good! Doubled recipe, chilled for an hour, rolled 1/2 out at a time on well floured parchment (2 half sheets put together). I wanted smaller cookies-used a Matfer 50 fluted cutter-2". Taking my time, flouring the cutter every 2 or 3 firm cuts. Made all my rounds, then lifted with a floured spatula. Baked 10 mins. They don't spread, 2 dozen/sheet on nonstick baking sheets. Left on tray for a minute or so (less breakage) and then held individually to paint one heavy coat of glaze. Yum

Heidi

Bob's Red Mill makes whole wheat pastry flour. I got some at our local supermarket.

Harold

Dough is definitely easier to handle and cut if chilled. Rolling in a log would be a plus. fluted is attractive but not necessary.

Su

Dried currants always refer to Zante currants (unless otherwise specified, which I've never seen)

Susan L

WAY too moist to even shape into a log!!!! Had to dust with more flour to manipulate. What gives????

m

50/50 mix of whole wheat flour & all purpose flour for the whole wheat pastry flour

ann o

I made these for Easter as written and they were great! Loved the chewy texture.

E.F.

Can you freeze these?

Heidi

I made a GF version of these on Easter morning, using 2/3 c. Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour, 1/2 c. sweet rice flour, 1/4 c. almond flour. We couldn't find currants, so subbed finely chopped dried apricots. They came together beautifully. Next time I may use a bit less sugar and a bit more salt. May skip the glaze altogether. It is a lovely finish, but perhaps a bit too sweet. Lastly, 3/8" seems a bit thick compared to other recipes for trad'l Easter biscuits. I will make these again. Satisfying!

AR

I substituted - 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour & all purpose flour for the whole wheat pastry flour- chopped dried cranberries for currants- dark rum for brandy They came out delicious and I will be doubling my recipe next Easter to share with friends!

Charlotte

I was out of whole wheat pastry flour but subbed 1/2c white pastry flour with 1/4c whole wheat flour and it worked well. I put 3/8” bands on my rolling pin so I know the thickness was right but for some happy reason, I got 28 cookies even with a 2-1/2” fluted cutter. I just made 1-1/2 times the icing to coat them all twice. They are great cookies and my husband is happy!

John Andrew

I made these biscuits for an early Easter celebration this year; and to quote my sister and brother-in-law, “They are the best biscuits I will ever eat!”. Great recipe. Followed it to the letter. Thank-you to NYTCooking and the inventors of this Easter treat.

Kathy B.

I made these with dried cherries and cranberries, rough chopped and soaked in cognac; rolled the dough in parchment and chilled then cut discs approx 1/2 thick before baking. These were delicious! Might try them next time adding mini dark chocolate chips.

dee from New Orleans

Dry when cut too thinly . Make them about 1/2” thick. Love the taste because they are not sticking sweet. Would be good with coffee or tea. A simple recipe and be sure to chill the dough before cutting out . Very interesting recipe.

Hannah

I used white whole wheat flour and raisins. Instead of brandy, I used lemon juice, which I wouldn't recommend. It wasn't bad, but the lemon flavor was more pronounced than I expected.

Widge

Made as directed, except I didn’t have brandy so used apple whiskey. For the pastry flour I used teff, turned out great. This only made 17 cookies for me. Also, not sure why my icing looks so different from pictured- mine is very thin unlike the opaque shown in the image. Perhaps I was meant to do more than 2 coats and that would explain why I only used up about half. All that said, these are delicious and I want to make them year round!

Barbara

Steam currents if very dry

Heidi

I made these in advance for Easter and froze them. Still very delicious. Also did not frost them but they were sweet enough. Probably would have looked nicer with the glaze. Also, I used dried cherries instead of currents. This is a great recipe!

Annette

Made these to take to an Easter gathering and they were definitely a hit.Used raisins as I did not have currents and they worked well. Liked the idea of rolling the dough into a log and then slicing it - less time consuming and my cookies cutter didn’t do well going through the raisins at times. Definitely a “keeper”!

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Sedgemoor Easter Biscuits Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the two most important things to do to ensure a flaky and tender biscuit? ›

What Makes Biscuits Flaky
  1. Very cold ingredients are essential. ...
  2. The oven must be very hot — in this case, 425° F. ...
  3. Stacking the layers of dough multiple times builds visible layers that are hard to achieve with kneading alone.
Oct 30, 2023

Why are they called Easter biscuits? ›

These classic old fashioned biscuits are called Easter biscuits because they were traditionally baked and given as gifts at Easter time. Lightly spiced and speckled with currants they are delicious and make a change from the usual chocolate confections.

What is the secret to biscuits? ›

Use Cold Butter for Biscuits

When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside. We default to our Land O Lakes® Salted Butter when baking biscuits.

What ingredient most caused the biscuits to rise? ›

While biscuits receive some leavening power from chemical sources — baking powder and baking soda — the difference between serviceable and greatness comes from the extra rise that steam provides. In order to generate steam, the oven must be set at a minimum of 425 degrees for at least 10 minutes prior to baking.

Is it better to use butter or crisco for biscuits? ›

The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

*Substitute buttermilk, light cream, or heavy cream for the whole milk, if you prefer; use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without you having to work it too much. The higher-fat liquid you use, the more tender and richer-tasting your biscuits will be.

Why cassia oil in Easter biscuits? ›

I lived and taught in Bristol for many years where Easter biscuits are flavoured with Cassia oil. This is, apparently, to represent the anointing of Christ after the crucifixion. My Bristol friends tell me they just like the taste and that they were surprised to hear that it is a custom local only to them!

Why are biscuits pricked before they are baked? ›

Pricking the dough with a fork before baking allows steam to be released during cooking and helps the biscuits rise more evenly. It's also traditional, and tradition counts with me. Arrange biscuits on the baking sheet so they almost touch.

Why are they called dog biscuits? ›

Businessman James Spratt introduced the first commercially-prepared pet food in England in approximately 1860. After seeing dogs being fed leftover biscuits from a ship, Spratt formulated the first dog biscuit: a mix of wheat meals, vegetables, beetroot and beef blood.

What not to do when making biscuits? ›

5 Mistakes You're Making With Your Biscuits
  1. Mistake #1: Your butter is too warm.
  2. Mistake #2: You're using an inferior flour.
  3. Mistake #3: You use an appliance to mix your batter.
  4. Mistake #4: You don't fold the dough enough.
  5. Mistake #5: You twist your biscuit cutter.
Feb 1, 2019

What does adding an egg to biscuits do? ›

As it turns out, adding hard-boiled egg yolks to your biscuit dough is a way to ward off an overworked, tough dough that can be the downfall of a butter-based pastry. When the trick is employed, the pastry shatters and then dissolves in your mouth quickly, tasting like a knob of flaky butter.

What makes biscuits taste better? ›

Use good butter and dairy

Because biscuit recipes call for so few ingredients, it's important that every one is high quality—you'll really taste the difference. Catherine recommends splurging a bit on a grass-fed butter or European-style butter (now's the time to reach for Kerrygold!).

Is it better to use milk or buttermilk in biscuits? ›

What's the Difference Between Buttermilk Biscuits and Regular Biscuits? As the names might suggest, regular biscuits do not contain buttermilk, while these do. Regular biscuits are typically prepared with milk or water instead. Buttermilk adds a nice tang to the biscuit flavor and helps them rise better.

What makes southern biscuits different? ›

They're Taller. Put on your science hat—things are about to get nerdy up in here! Southern biscuits made using flour made from soft red winter wheat are taller because of the lower protein content of the flour. According to Science Direct, the amount of protein is inversely proportional to the volume of the baked good.

How thick should you roll biscuit dough? ›

Now place the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out to 3/4 inch thick. (note, if at any point the butter softens and it becomes hard to work with, refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes or until it firms up a little.) Using a biscuit cutter (3-inches in diameter), cut as many biscuits as you can.

What are the two most important steps in biscuit making? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What 2 ingredients affect both flakiness and tenderness of a plain pastry? ›

For the hot-water method, boiling water and fat are beaten together and the dry ingredients are added last. The properties of tenderness and flakiness can occur together or separately. Ideally a pastry has both properties. Thorough mixing of fat and flour usually results in more tender pastry than does minimal mixing.

How do you achieve a tender and flaky dough crust? ›

Keep the dough ingredients cool

The key to standard pie crust is having pockets of fat surrounded by flour. But if that fat starts to melt and mixes with the flour, it can start to develop gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. To prevent this, keep everything as cold as possible.

What are 2 causes of tough biscuits? ›

Tough
  • Gluten in flour overdeveloped. ...
  • Ratio of dry ingredients to fats and liquids too high. ...
  • Used wrong type of flour. ...
  • The wrong kind of measuring cup was used. ...
  • Vegetable oil spread contains less fat and more water than butter or margarine. ...
  • Oven was too hot and product overbaked.

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