Sunday, 10 December 2023

Sunday 10th December - Advent 2 Bake - Cheesy biscuits

 Since these recipes took no experimentation on my part (unlike speculaas last week!) I've just set them out here.

The first one from what I laughingly refer to as my 'recipe file' - more a jumble of paper in along with all the other bits of useful information - comes from the the Guardian Newspaper in 2007

Guardian Newspaper,Cheese Biscuits

and as usual I recommend following the link, although the recipe summary is

for about 24 biscuits

100g very cold butter

100g plain flour

pinch of salt, pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

50g finely grated mature cheddar

50g finely grated Parmesan, 

more finely grated Parmesan for sprinkling and a beaten egg for sprinkling - I didn't do this.

Put everything except the extra Parmesan and the beaten egg into a food processor, whizz until it becomes pastry.

Tip it out and knead into a dough, form into a sausage shape about 4-5 cm thick, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.

Slice into thin rounds with sharp knife dipped in hot water, place on a greased baking tray about 2 cm apart. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake 10 mins in oven pre-heated to 180, gas 4. Cool on a rack. You will probably need 2 trays.


I confess; I sliced four rounds off the unchilled biscuit log and put them in the air fryer with no sprinkling. Here they are after 10 mins at 180; and after 15 mins there were none left. Sprinkling stuff on biscuits etc is a non-starter in our air fryer and it all flies about and gets stuck to the element.

  

The other biscuits are Nigella's Cheesy Feet Once again, I suggest you visit the site!

100g grated cheddar

25g soft butter

50g plain flower

1/4 teas baking powder.

Whizz everything in a food processor until it comes together. Wrap in cling film and chill 15 mins.

She rolls it thinly to roughly 3mm thickness, and cuts out feet shape with cookie cutters. I, guess what, make a sausage shape and cut off slices!

Bake in preheated oven on a lined baking sheet for 10-12 mins at 200/gas 6, depending on the size of your feet. The biscuits continue to crisp as they cool, so lift them off the bakig sheet while they are still  little soft in the middle.(10-12 mins in the air fryer at 190 would probably be just as good!)

I have made these before and they were equally delicious. 

They are also made in a food processor; I wonder if these recipes would work if you don't have a food processor, if you froze the butter, and grated it into the other ingredients, like Delia Smith's Quick Flaky Pastry I have made this pastry, from her 'Christmas Book' which went with the TV series Oh so long ago, and it is very good.

4 comments:

  1. I have some feet cutters in a tin somewhere. I shall make some of these for the grandchildren over Christmas

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    1. Perfect! And so quick in a food processor.

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  2. I've used the Guardian recipe (which I may have found in the New York Times, can't remember but my measurements are in cups rather than the preferred grams) for two neighbourhood holiday get-togethers now, very popular both times. Beside them, or in the middle of the plate, I put a little dish of either red pepper jelly or redcurrant jelly and a pate spreader. Thanks for featuring both these recipes.

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    1. That sounds a delicious idea. I wonder if a bit of home made chutney would work too. I haven't come across red pepper jelly, I shall investigate! Thank you.

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