MY CHILDHOOD BISCUITS (simple and easy lemon biscuits)
March 30, 2020
These are the homemade biscuits I grew up with, soft on the inside and with a delightful crispy crust, easy to make and with hints of lemon flavour.
These shortbread cookies would probably, for many years, be the most repeated among other biscuits and cookies recipes, and also one of the first culinary activities I remember making.
Still small, my grandmother used to call me and my brother to help her make these cookies because as the dough is shapeable (almost like plasticine) it was fun to create shapes that usually included the initials of our names, others were similar to those shown in these photos, and others would probably be invented at the time and would come out better or worse after coming out of the oven.
Still small, my grandmother used to call me and my brother to help her make these cookies because as the dough is shapeable (almost like plasticine) it was fun to create shapes that usually included the initials of our names, others were similar to those shown in these photos, and others would probably be invented at the time and would come out better or worse after coming out of the oven.
The Ingredients
These cookies only need 6 simple ingredients that we always have in our pantry:- Flour - I always made this recipe using self-raising flour, however, if only all-purpose flour is available, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe.
- Sugar - this amount used allows us to have biscuits with a very balanced sweetness.
- Egg - this single egg will help to bind all the other ingredients together.
- Butter - unlike many other biscuits, these aren't greasy and the amount of butter allows them to be just slightly crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside.
- Milk - you can use any kind of milk you want, animal or plant-based because it's a small amount and it doesn't interfere with the flavor.
- Lemon or Orange - I usually make these cookies using lemon zest, but I've also tried them with orange zest; those who want can alternatively flavor the biscuits with 1 teaspoon of vanilla or cinnamon powder.
How to make
- Start by slightly melting the butter, or remove it previously from the refrigerator and let it reach room temperature.
- Add the sugar and beat well with the butter until the sugar is well dissolved and the cream is fluffy.
- At this point, the lemon zest (or other flavour) and milk are added, as well as the egg, mixing everything well.
- Finally, the flour is gradually wrapped in this preparation (by hand with a spatula/wooden spoon, or with an electric mixer - spiral attachments) so that everything is consistent and the dough is slightly elastic in texture (when we beat well, the gluten will be activated and create such elasticity).
- It's not mandatory, but I like the dough to rest a little in the cold so that it is slightly stiffer and so, we can easily shape the biscuits.
- In these I made, I modeled some of the biscuits by hand and in others, I used cookie cutters to present different shapes. When creating the shapes you want, always keep in mind that these cookies grow a little in the oven (as you can see in the images), so place them at some distance from each other.
- These cookies bake quickly and should be removed from the oven as soon as they start to gain a little color because the longer they are in the oven the harder they will become (if they are soft to the touch when removed from the oven, it's OK because they'll harden as they cool). I like them crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but if you like them harder, just leave them in the oven for another 5 minutes, as they are also very good to dip in tea or coffee.
My childhood biscuits (lemon biscuits) recipe
Ingredients
300 gr self raising flour
125 gr sugar
1 egg
60 gr butter
2 tablespoons milk (of any kind)
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
- Beat the softened butter with the sugar until a cream is obtained.
- Add the lemon zest and the milk.
- Add the egg, beating well.
- Gradually, add the flour until the dough becomes elastic and shapeable.
- Leave to stand for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Using your hands, or cookie cutters, shape the biscuits to your liking.
- They are placed on a baking tray with parchment paper, or a silicone mat, and taken to the oven at 180ºC for about 8 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the biscuit).
Originally posted in 2016
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