Simple Biscuits for Everyday

These are the biscuits I make nearly everyday – for coffee, for tea, for dipping into liqueurs, for gifts or for crises. Nothing can make you feel better like a biscuit can. Simple, easy and frugal, you can make a big batch and they keep in an airtight Tupperware container for a week or more. Except they won’t be there that long.

Ingredients to make 24 biscuits, with a cutter of 6cm diameter

150g unsalted butter, at room temperature

150g soft brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

Seeds from one vanilla pod

Zest of 1 lemon

300g plain flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted

Pinch of sea salt

Method

In a bowl beat the butter with the sugar till light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla seeds and lemon zest and mix.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well, till you form a smooth dough. Knead it lightly into the shape of a flat disc.

Roll out the flat disc using a rolling pin on a floured table to a height of 0.3cm. Cut the biscuits out with a cutter of 6cm diameter. Grease and line two baking sheets with baking parchment, and place 12 biscuits, not touching each other, on each.

Chill the biscuits in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, till golden brown.

You can sift icing sugar on top, if you like, or leave them plain.