‘Tis the season to be jolly! ‘Tis is also the season to fill your tins with crunchy (and yummy) biscuits you’ve been looking forward to all year. Giant chocolate chip cookies, mince pie biscuits and green tea snaps, you won’t be able to resist these delicious bakes.
Giant triple-chocolate-chip cookies
Makes 10 // Cooking time 30 minutes
Ingredients
100g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
100g butter, at room temperature
225g flour
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
140g milk chocolate, melted
85g white chocolate, chopped into chunks
85g dark chocolate chips
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar, caster sugar and butter with a wooden spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Gently press large handfuls of the cookie dough onto baking trays, flattening to about 1½cm thick.
- Bake for 8–9 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Also read: Chocolate chip and Oreo brownie bars
Hertzoggies
Serves 12 // Cooking time 45 minutes // Hands-off 60 minutes
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust
125g butter, softened
60g caster sugar
125g flour, sifted
For the filling
180 ml smooth apricot jam
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
100g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
250 ml desiccated coconut, toasted
Method
For the shortbread crust
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Rub in the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Knead until dough just comes together. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a mini tartlet pan.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 2mm thick and cut into 12 rounds. Line the pan with the discs. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown.
For the filling
- Fill each shell with 1 Tbsp jam, then set aside.
- Whisk egg whites and salt until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, whisking until the mixture becomes stiff and glossy. Fold in vanilla and coconut. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe on to each tartlet.
- Bake for 5–8 minutes, until light golden.
Also read: 9 secrets for the best biscuits
Triple ginger biscuits
Serves 16 // Cooking time 15 minutes
Ingredients
2½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
⅓ cup candied ginger, finely chopped
1½ tsp grated ginger
⅓ cup sugar
Method
- Sift together all the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and molasses and beat until fully combined.
- Fold in the candied and grated ginger.
- Add the dry ingredients and use your hands to bring the dough together. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a baking sheet.
- Measure out tablespoonfuls of biscuit dough, roll into balls, flatten and roll in the sugar, until lightly coated.
- Arrange the biscuits on the prepared tray and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.
Quick tip: For an extra surprise, add some chocolate chips to your biscuit dough along with the candied and grated ginger.
Recipes & styling: Joni Dames
Photography: Sean Dollery
Mince pie biscuits
Makes 9 biscuits // Cooking time 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the biscuits
1 cup nutty wheat flour
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup coconut oil, softened but not melted
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cold water
For the mince pie filling
½ apple, peeled, cored and grated
¼ lemon, zested and juiced
¼ orange, zested and juiced
½ tbsp coconut oil
1 cup mixed dried fruit
¼ cup apricot juice
¼ tsp mixed spice
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp cornflour
Method
For the biscuits
- Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add coconut oil and beat until combined. Add honey and beat again until it resembles sticky breadcrumbs.
- Add the water and mix until a soft dough forms. Cover the pastry in cling film and set aside in the fridge.
For the mince pie filling
- Place all ingredients, except corn flour, in a pot over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 8 minutes.
- Mix the cornflour with 2 tsp cold water to make a paste and stir it into the hot fruit. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Roll the biscuit dough out and, using a 6cm cookie cutter, cut circles out of the dough.
- Divide the circles into two batches. Use a smaller decorative cutter to cut a shape out of the middle of one batch of circles, creating the ‘window’ biscuit.
- Bake all the circles for 10–12 minutes until golden brown.
- Spoon 1 Tbsp of the filling onto each of the bottom biscuits and sandwich closed with the top decorative ‘window’ biscuit.
Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za
Also read: Mince pies with clementine curd
Green tea snap biscuits
Makes 18–20 // Cooking time 25 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
⅔ cup caster sugar
2 tsp green tea leaves (loose-leaf or from a tea bag)
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
80 g butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp honey
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C and dust a baking tray with flour.
- Mix the flour, sugar, tea and bicarb. Rub in the butter.
- In a bowl, mix the egg, milk and honey. Add to dry ingredients and mix to form a soft dough, adding a little water if needed.
- Roll out the dough to about 6–8mm thick. Cut into rounds and arrange on the baking tray.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the baking tray. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Also read: Green tea panna cotta with black sesame praline
