Vanilla Sugar Biscuits

Can you think of a better way to spend a rainy Saturday, than by making lots of biscuits? I can't. So here we go. I got the recipe out of this 70's baking book that I got from the op-shop. They were meant to be Danish Vanilla Wreaths. But the piping kit that I have is actually an icing kit, so the biscuits were too small to be piped out and I ended up rolling them into balls. The recipe didn't have enough sugar in it, so I had to add (a lot) more. It also called for almond meal, which I'd run out of, so I used cornflour instead. Maybe that's where my problem started! Not to mention the fact that my scales are a bit dodgy (they're also from the op-shop). Boooring!

But anyway, they worked out well in the end. I'm not sure what you'd call them exactly. They're not shortbread, and they're definately not Danish Vanilla Wreaths. But it doesn't matter that they don't have a name. They actually taste really good. I'm even going to take them to work tonight, to help us get through a busy, rainy, Saturday night (not only that, but there's only so many biscuits you can eat before you start to feel sick, and sorry for yourself). I made some mini biscuits and some regular sized biscuits. I haven't decided which ones I like better yet, but decide for yourself. I also had some choc-chips left over, and some dried cranberries, so I pressed these onto the tops of the biscuits before I cooked them. I think it added an extra special something. Win!

Recipe:

Adapted fom "The Complete Book of Home Baking"

Oven- 180

250g plain flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

190g butter

150g sugar, plus more for sprinking

50g cornflour

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg, beaten

few drops of milk

chocolate chips, or dried cranberries, optional

Mix everything together, except the chocolate chips and the milk. I used my hands to rub the butter in, but if you prefer, you could just use electric mixers. If the mix is too thick, add some milk, to thin it out.

Put the bowl into the fridge for about 20mins, to chill.

Roll the mixture into teaspoon sized balls and put onto a lined baking tray (I made some that were this size, and some that were half a teaspoon, for mini biscuits).

If not using chocolate chips, flatten the balls slightly with a wet fork, otherwise, put the chips in the middle of the biscuits.

Bake for 10-12 mins, until golden around the edge, and bottom, but not all over. If you make mini biscuits, the cooking time will be shorter.

Sprinkle with white sugar while still warm. When dry, shake off extra sugar.