Cherry Crumble Biscuits – Cookies

I came up with a great idea for some Cherry Crumble Biscuits, or cookies. The idea struck me after making my Strawberry Pie, where I grated pastry over the top of the strawberries. The same method, I thought, would work well for biscuits. So, I conducted a trial using a bun pan into which I placed grated dough. Then, I made a depression in the centre and added some black cherry jam. I covered it with more grated dough and baked the biscuits.

The result was perfect – deliciously buttery biscuits with a great crunch. The jam filling added an extra dimension with its sweetness. However not everyone has a bun tin so I decided to make a free-form version. I used a cookie cutter to help shape the free-form biscuits.

The Recipe

I kept the recipe simple. It takes very little time. First, make the dough, and then chill it in the freezer until it becomes very firm. Grate the dough and use a 2 1/2 inch (6.3 cm) cookie cutter to shape the biscuits. Place about 25g (scant 1 oz) of dough into the cookie cutter and gently press around the edge. Then, create a depression in the centre and add about a teaspoon of black cherry jam. Place another 25g of dough on top and gently press around the edge to seal. Carefully remove the cookie cutter and repeat the process until all the dough is used. However, if you don’t have a cookie cutter, a bun tin will also work.

After shaping the biscuits, chill them for 30 minutes while preheating the oven. Bake the biscuits for 17 to 20 minutes; they will spread a little and turn a nice golden brown. After baking, the biscuits will be approximately 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter. Let them rest on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

My biscuits turned out really well. They had a lovely crunch and tasted incredibly buttery, with the fruity sweetness of the jam in the center. The level of crunchiness can be adjusted by baking the biscuits for a shorter or longer time. I enjoyed mine immensely.

Another great biscuit recipe is Abbey Crunch.

Cherry Crumble Biscuits – Cookies

Recipe by geoffcooCourse: Biscuits, CookiesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

14

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 350g(2 1/3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour

• 6g(1 1/2 tsp) baking powder

• 1 medium egg(large in USA)

• 125g(10 tbsp) caster sugar

• 154g(11 tbsp) softened unsalted butter

• 1.5g(1/4 tsp) salt

• grated zest of one lemon

• 120g(15 tsp) black cherry jam

Directions

• Place the sugar into a large bowl and add the zest. Then rub the zest into the sugar to release the flavoursome oils.
• Add the butter and cream it into the sugar until it is light and fluffy.
• Pour in the egg and whisk it until fully combined.
• Mix the baking powder and salt into the flour.
• Add that into the wet mixture, in two additions and mix until it starts clumping together.
• Squeeze the dough into a nice smooth ball.
• Place the dough into a plastic bag and flatten into a disc. Then place it in the freezer until it is quite firm.
• Grate the well chilled dough, using a cheese grater.
• Place a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter onto a lined baking tray.
• Spoon about 25g(scant 1 oz) of grated dough into the cookie cutter and gently press around the edge.
• Make a depression in the centre of the dough.
• Place about 1 tsp of jam into the depression.
• Place another 25g of grated dough into the cookie cutter, covering the jam completely.
• Gently press around the edge again.
• Carefully remove the cookie cutter and repeat the process, leaving a gap between each biscuit, until all the dough has been used.
• Place the baking trays into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
• Bake the biscuits for 17 to 20 minutes, until they have turned a nice golden colour.
• Remove the biscuits from the oven and leave them on the tray for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.