SUGAR BISCUITS

These sugar biscuits are the easiest to make. They are soft, sweet, deliciously buttery and are perfect to shape and decorate to match any occasion! The dough is easy to roll, and is guaranteed to hold its shape, every time.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 200g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, combine flour with baking powder and set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and the powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and mix to combine, then add the teaspoon of vanilla essence.

4. Pour the flour mixture over the wet ingredients and mix to incorporate everything well.

5. Once the dough starts to come together, take it out of the bowl and continue kneading it by hand until smooth, and form it into a disc.

6. Wrap it with cling film and chill the dough for approximately 20 minutes. If in a rush, you can freeze it for about 8-15 minutes. You’ll want to check on it, because you’re looking to make it firm and not completely solid.

7. Preheat oven to 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

8. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, or alternatively between two parchment papers to avoid having the rolling pin sticking to the dough.

9. You’ll want to roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness, and then begin creating the biscuit shapes you prefer using cookie cutters.

10. Because the dough was chilled, the shapes should hold their shape and be easily transferred onto the baking sheet, but do it gently.

11. Once transferred to the baking sheet, I suggest you refrigerate or freeze them for an additional 5 minutes. This step prevents them from spreading during baking, and helps them keep their shape.

12. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes. Check them at 8 minutes and see if they need longer. The sheen on the biscuit’s surface should be gone, but they should still be soft to the touch. The biscuits will continue to bake once they are out of the oven, so leave them to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet until they become firm.

13. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top for extra sweetness and to create a bit of winter wonderland and serve them with a comforting cup of something warm. You can also choose to decorate them with frosting or glaze, or dip them in melted dark chocolate.

Notes:
I have tried the “no-chill dough” and found that chilling dough allows for better shaped biscuits, but also for biscuits with longer-lasting softness.

If you prefer your biscuits well-done, leave them in the oven for a bit longer, until you notices the edges begin to slightly brown.

These biscuits will remain soft for up to 2 weeks, in a tightly sealed container.