Christmas Baking, Day 5

When I was younger Christmas was great; the amount of Secret Santa presents and biscuits we were given was crazy… I can thank my mum for that! We would always have some sort of treat to keep my little brother and I happy and it was brilliant. One bad thing about becoming an adult – no more treats for me. Sad times. However, the highlight of my festive season was going to a family friend’s house to bake many different types of Danish cookies – and eating them after. This recipe comes from this lovely family friend who was more than happy to share this traditional recipe with me!

You might think, ‘oh they look exactly like Scottish Shortbread.’ They are not. They are buttery, vanilla-ry biscuits which melt in your mouth and leave you wanting more. So, be warned, it’s very easy to finish a whole tin on your own. You may have tried the little blue tin of Danish biscuits, but they don’t even compare to the lovely home-made version.

*This recipe contains almonds*

What you’ll need…

  • Piping bag with small star nozzle
  • Seeds from 1 vanilla pod OR 1tsp of vanilla bean paste (you can add more vanilla if you’d like. Seeds from 2 vanilla pods would work great.)
  • 375g cold Danish butter
  • 375g plain flour
  • 125g potato flour
  • 100g blanched, very finely chopped almonds
  • 250g granulated sugar
  • 1 medium egg

How to make…

  • Sieve and mix the plain flour and potato flour together in a large bowl.
  • Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour – not beating yet. This should create a crumbly texture.
  • Add the vanilla seeds, almonds and sugar to the dry ingredients and mix together.
  • Once all of the dry ingredients are combined, beat in the egg quickly to form a dough.
  • Leave the dough covered in a cool place overnight. This will make it easier to pipe, so the longer in the fridge before piping the better.
  • The next day, line two baking trays with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/350˚F/Gas 4.
  • Put the dough into a piping bag with a small star nozzle/tube. Pipe the dough into strips of around 10cm and form into rings. The biscuits should be well spaced out to allow for them spreading slightly. Once you have filled the baking tray, put into the top of the oven for around 8 minutes, or until slightly golden brown, depending on your oven.
  • Put the dough in the fridge between batches to keep it cool and to ensure it does not go too soft to pipe and form rings.
  • Once baked, leave to cool completely before taking them off of the baking paper, then transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle some extra sugar over the cookies before serving and enjoy!

 

This ultra-simple recipe is quick and easy to follow, even when everything is getting hectic, so they’re perfect for this time of year. If you wanted to jazz them up even more, you could skip the sprinkling of sugar and dip each ring in melted dark or milk chocolate on one side, and leave to set. The vanilla rings should keep in an airtight container for about a week, and three months if frozen.

These little butter biscuits can also be used in the next recipe that I’ll be posting, so keep your eyes peeled!

Enjoy making these with your little ones, and carry on my own little tradition.

Merry-almost-Christmas!

Wenzel’s xo

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