Recipe: Lemon and Mint Biscuits

Lemon and Mint biscuits 

Just lately I seem to have a constant supply of lemon and mint in the house.  Not surprising, I suppose, considering it's one of my favourite flavour combinations (Five Valleys lemon and mint cordial is amazing if you haven't tried it; it's a store cupboard staple in this house.)

J, my stepson, was coming to stay for the weekend on Friday and I like to have something freshly baked for his stay, if I can.  Given the huge pile of lemons in the fruit bowl and an overflowing herb crate of mint I thought I'd try the biscuit recipe I found in my 'Secrets of Aga Puddings' book by Lucy Young.

They are easy to make and taste quite sophisticated (if you know what I mean).  You could certainly make them to accompany a syllabub, mousse or fruit salad as a special dessert but it's also nice to have a couple with a strong coffee and an episode of 'Stenders if that's your bag.

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Lemon & Mint Biscuits 

Ingredients

175g softened butter

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 2tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp of chopped fresh mint

110g caster sugar

225g plain flour

25g demerara sugar

Method

Beat together the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint and caster sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour, bringing the mixture together with your hands and knead lightly until you have a smooth dough.  (My dough was quite sticky so I needed to liberally flour my hands and the kitchen counter.)

Roll the mixture into two sausage shapes, about 6" long each.  Roll the dough in the demerara sugar to evenly coat, wrap in foil or baking parchment (not cling film; the mixture will stick) and then chill in the fridge until firm.

Cut the dough into slices about 5mm thick and place on a baking sheet that you've greased and/or lined with baking parchment*.  Allow a little room for the biscuits to spread. 

AGA baking:  Bake on the grid shelf of the floor of the baking over for 12-15 minutes until pale golden brown.  (For a two-oven model slide onto the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven with the cold sheet on the second set of runners.)

Conventional oven:  bake in a preheated oven at 160 ºC/140ºC fan or Gas mark 3 for 10-12 minutes.

Lift the biscuits onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely before scoffing delicately nibbling. 

*Here's where I sing the praises of my new cooking essential:  Bake-O-Glide.  I have only been using it since we got the new stove but I wish I'd bought some when we had our regular oven.  It's a reusable tin liner and comes either ready-cut (for roasting tins, baking sheets etc) or as a single piece for you to cut to size.  Nothing ever sticks to it and it's dishwasher-friendly.  Can definitely recommend you try some if you don't use it already.

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Let me know if you make them!  They went down quite well here and I'm thinking of other flavours I can add to the biscuit mix.  Lavender and rose are obvious choices for me!  Orange would also be delicious.  If you're not keen on mint then you could easily leave it out - they would still be lovely.  

Nicki 

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