Key Ingredients and Equipment

Ingredients

Egg white powder (we use Meri-White)

Good-quality plain flour

Good-quality self-raising flour

Granulated and caster sugar

Golden syrup

Salted and unsalted butter

Eggs (large and medium)

Vanilla pods/vanilla extract

Good-quality cocoa powder

Icing sugar

Food colourings (we use gel colours for colouring icing, and paste or powder colours for fondant)

Fondant icing

Marzipan

Edible metallic paints

Lustre dust/shimmer powders

Decorations (sprinkles, golden balls, sanding sugar, hundreds and thousands)

Equipment

Weighing scales (as accurate as possible)

Sieve

Mixing bowls (for mixing biscuit and cake ingredients)

Large smooth rolling pin

Greaseproof paper/baking parchment

Biscuit cutters

Baking trays

Cooling racks

Spatula

Palette knife

Small bowls (for colouring icing)

Piping bags (disposable, reusable plastic or fabric)

Piping nozzles (optional)

Squeezy piping bottles

Toothpicks

Food-safe paintbrush (clean)

20-cm/8-inch cake tins

Pastry brush

String

Fondant cake smoother

25-cm/10-inch cake board

Long wooden skewers or paper lolly sticks (for biscuit pops)

Dough Making and Biscuit Baking

Mastering the art of dough making is the first step in becoming a Biscuiteer – we’ve spent ten years perfecting our technique. Here, you’ll find the trusted dough recipes we make every day. If you have a favourite biscuit recipe of your own, keep in mind that you need a dough that bakes evenly and is smooth in texture, to make it easy to ice on.

Top tips for dough making

• Clear a nice big space on your worktop.
• Prepare two baking trays (or more, if you’re making a big batch!) with a sheet of greaseproof paper on each.
• Read the recipe from start to finish before you begin.
• Measure all the ingredients before you start. It’s also a good idea to test your scales first, to ensure accuracy (use a can of tomatoes or something that has a given weight).
• Take the butter out of the fridge 15 minutes before needed, to come to the right temperature.

Roll with it

We recommend rolling out the dough as soon as it’s made, because it’s easiest to work with at this time. If you’re making a batch to bake later, roll the dough into a disc shape and cover with cling film before chilling. Always bring the dough back to room temperature before attempting to roll out. We roll our dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper, so we don’t have to add additional flour that can make the dough dry and less tasty! We also refrigerate our dough for 30 minutes before cutting, so that it handles easier and holds its shape better, even when using the most intricate of cutters!

• Divide the dough in half and shape into two flat discs.
• Place a disc of dough on a sheet of greaseproof paper.
• To roll the dough as evenly as possible, you can use professional rolling guides, or improvise with wooden spoons. Place them either side of the paper to roll directly onto.
• Gently squash the dough down with the rolling pin, then cover with a second sheet of greaseproof paper.
• Begin to roll the dough out with the rolling pin. If the top sheet of paper creases, just peel it off, smooth down and start rolling again.
• Gently roll the dough until it is an even thickness of 5mm all over (or 7mm if you are making biscuit pops).
• Transfer the sheet of rolled dough (still sandwiched between the greaseproof paper) to a baking tray. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Cutting and cooking the dough

• Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2.
• Line baking trays with greaseproof paper, so you can transfer the biscuits straight over.
• Remove the dough from the fridge just before cutting.
• Assemble your cutters and make a note of how many of each shape you’ll need. It’s always a good idea to cut a few more than you need, so you’re not icing under pressure later on!
• Use the dough efficiently, by cutting the biscuits as close together as possible. Any trimmings can be re-rolled a couple of times.
• After cutting, carefully pick up each biscuit with a palette knife and place onto the lined baking trays. Space the biscuits out evenly – they will spread a little when baking.
• Place the trays into the preheated oven and bake for 20–30 minutes. Check the biscuits after 20 minutes. Bake times vary – large biscuits and large quantities in the oven will take longer.
• When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to turn a golden colour (vanilla flavour) or darken slightly (chocolate flavour), remove from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of greaseproof paper to a cooling rack. Do this very carefully, as the biscuits will be fragile and hot!
• Cool completely before storing or they will lose their crunch. Don’t start to ice the biscuits while they are still warm or the icing will melt off.
• If you are storing to ice later, pack the biscuits between sheets of greaseproof paper in an airtight tin or plastic Tupperware, for up to a week.

Biscuit Recipes

Vanilla Biscuits

This is the classic Biscuiteers recipe – our very first batch of biscuits was a vanilla dough and we’ve not wavered since. The natural sweetness of vanilla works perfectly with the icing and the light-coloured dough makes it super simple to know when it’s cooked.

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the sugar, butter, golden syrup, egg and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on a low speed for 3 minutes, until there are only small lumps of butter visible, then turn the speed of the mixer up to medium for 1 minute to reduce the size of the butter lumps.
3. Sift both types of flour into the bowl and mix on a low speed for 1 minute, or until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium speed for 30 seconds, or until the dough clings together and the sides of the bowl are clean.
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two and squash into even, flat discs. Cover with cling film and chill, or use immediately.
5. Roll out the dough to an even thickness between two sheets of greaseproof paper and cut out your biscuit shapes (for dough rolling, cutting, cooking and keeping tips, see here).
6. Carefully pick up each biscuit with a palette knife and place onto the lined trays. Space the biscuits out evenly – they will spread a little when baking.
7. Place the trays into the preheated oven and bake for 20–30 minutes (check at 20 minutes).
8. When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to turn a golden colour, remove from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of greaseproof paper to a cooling rack. Do this very carefully, as the biscuits will be fragile and hot! Allow to cool completely before icing.

TOP TIP – If you want to experiment with flavours, the vanilla in this recipe can be replaced with lovely things such as grated lemon or orange zest, coffee or cinnamon. Just keep in mind that you need a dough that bakes evenly and is smooth in texture, so avoid chunky ingredients.

All-Spice Biscuits

Our all-spice dough started as a Christmas favourite, but now we bake it all year round to make our family of Jolly Gingerbread Men. The all-spice flavours are more subtle than gingerbread, so it’s perfect for big and little Biscuiteers alike.

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the sugar, butter, golden syrup and egg into a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on a low speed for 3 minutes, until there are only small lumps of butter visible, then turn the speed of the mixer up to medium for 1 minute to reduce the size of the butter lumps.
3. Sift both types of flour and the mixed spice into the bowl and mix on a low speed for 1 minute, or until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium speed for 30 seconds, or until the dough clings together and the sides of the bowl are clean.
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two and squash into even, flat discs. Cover with cling film and chill, or use immediately.
5. Roll out the dough to an even thickness between two sheets of greaseproof paper and cut out your biscuit shapes (for dough rolling, cutting, cooking and keeping tips, see here).
6. Carefully pick up each biscuit with a palette knife and place onto the lined trays. Space the biscuits out evenly – they will spread a little when baking.
7. Place the trays into the preheated oven and bake for 20–30 minutes (check at 20 minutes).
8. When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to turn golden brown, remove from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of greaseproof paper to a cooling rack. Do this very carefully, as the biscuits will be fragile and hot! Allow to cool completely before icing.

Chocolate Biscuits

It will come as no surprise that chocolate is our customers’ favourite, and we bake hundreds of biscuits with this very recipe every day. The rich, chocolatey dough makes the perfect treat for a birthday party or special gift.

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the sugar, butter, golden syrup and egg into a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on a low speed for 3 minutes, until there are only small lumps of butter visible, then turn the speed up to medium for 1 minute to reduce the size of the butter lumps.
3. Sift both types of flour and the cocoa into the bowl and mix on a low speed for 1 minute, or until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium speed for 30 seconds, or until the dough clings together and the sides of the bowl are clean.
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two and squash into even, flat discs. Cover with cling film and chill, or use immediately.
5. Roll out the dough to an even thickness between two sheets of greaseproof paper and cut out your biscuit shapes (for dough rolling, cutting, cooking and keeping tips, see here).
6. Carefully pick up each biscuit with a palette knife and place onto the lined trays. Space the biscuits out evenly – they will spread a little when baking.
7. Place the trays into the preheated oven and bake for 20–30 minutes (check at 20 minutes).
8. When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to darken slightly, remove from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of greaseproof paper to a cooling rack. Do this very carefully, as the biscuits will be fragile and hot! Allow to cool completely before icing.

Gluten-Free Biscuits

Our customers asked for gluten-free biscuits, so we developed these recipes with many taste tests. It’s a hard life! Like us, you’ll find them handy to have up your sleeve. Be sure to chill the dough for 1 hour before you start rolling out – it’s important not to skip this step.

Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer, until combined and smooth.
3. Add in the golden syrup and mix until combined.
4. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix on a low speed, until just combined, then turn the speed up to high for about 30 seconds.
5. Sift the gluten-free flour, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the bowl and mix on a low speed, until combined, then turn the mixer up to a medium speed for 30 seconds, or until the dough clings together and the sides of the bowl are clean (no more than 1 minute).
6. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Flatten into a disc with the palm of your hand, wrap the dough in cling film and then chill in the fridge for about 1 hour, until firm.
7. Knead the chilled dough until it is very tight, then roll out the dough to an even thickness between two sheets of greaseproof paper. Cut out your biscuit shapes (for dough rolling, cutting, cooking and keeping tips, see here).
8. Carefully pick up each biscuit with a palette knife and place onto the lined trays. Space the biscuits out evenly – they will spread a little when baking.
9. Place the trays into the preheated oven and bake for 25–35 minutes (check at 25 minutes).
10. When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to turn golden, remove from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of greaseproof paper to a cooling rack. Do this very carefully, as the biscuits will be fragile and hot! Allow to cool completely before icing.

Chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer, until combined and smooth.
3. Add in the golden syrup and mix until combined.
4. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix on a low speed, until just combined, then turn the speed up to high for about 30 seconds.
5. Sift the gluten-free flour, gluten-free baking powder, cocoa powder and xanthan gum into the bowl and mix on a low speed, until combined, then turn the mixer up to a medium speed for 30 seconds, or until the dough clings together and the sides of the bowl are clean (no more than 1 minute).
6. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Flatten into a disc with the palm of your hand, wrap the dough in cling film and then chill in the fridge for about 1 hour, until firm.
7. Knead the chilled dough until it is very tight, then roll out the dough to an even thickness between two sheets of greaseproof paper. Cut out your biscuit shapes (for dough rolling, cutting, cooking and keeping tips, see here).
8. Carefully pick up each biscuit with a palette knife and place onto the lined baking trays. Space the biscuits out evenly – they will spread a little when baking.
9. Place the trays into the preheated oven and bake for 25–35 minutes (check at 25 minutes).
10. When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to darken slightly, remove from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of greaseproof paper to a cooling rack. Do this very carefully, as the biscuits will be fragile and hot! Allow to cool completely before icing.

Cake Recipes

Biscuits may have been our first love, but we think extra-special occasions deserve extra-special cakes. In this chapter, you’ll find the cake recipes we use in our bakery. Throughout the book you’ll find creative inspiration on how to decorate them (using biscuits, of course!).

Super Chocolatey Cake

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas mark 3. Grease and line 3 × 20-cm/8-inch round cake tins with greaseproof paper.
2. Place the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir, until completely melted. Set aside to cool a little.
3. Sift together the flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
4. Beat the eggs into the chocolate mixture.
5. Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined.
6. Divide the mixture among the prepared tins.
7. Place on the middle shelf of your hot oven and bake for 50 minutes. Check one by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake. If baked, the skewer will come out clean. If not, pop the cakes back in the oven for 5 minutes more!
8. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack.

Red Velvet Cake

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3. Grease and line 3 × 20-cm/8-inch round cake tins with greaseproof paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
3. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, add the vanilla, then gradually add the beaten eggs and mix together.
4. In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.
5. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix in. Add half of the buttermilk and mix in. Repeat with the other halves.
6. Add in the red food colouring and mix well.
7. Mix together the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, then add to the batter and give it a final mix.
8. Divide the mixture among the prepared tins.
9. Bake in the hot oven for 30–35 minutes. Check one by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake. If baked, the skewer will come out clean. If not, pop the cakes back in the oven for 5 minutes more!

Zesty Lemon Cake

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3. Grease and line 3 × 20-cm/8-inch round cake tins with greaseproof paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
3. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, then gradually add your beaten eggs and mix together. If it looks as though your batter is curdling, you can add 1 teaspoon of flour!
4. Fold the lemon zest into the batter.
5. In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then fold into the batter.
6. Divide the mixture among the prepared tins.
7. Bake in the hot oven for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown. Check one by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake. If baked, the skewer will come out clean. If not, pop the cakes back in the oven for 5 minutes more!

Mature Fruit Cake

1. Mix all the fruit together in a large mixing bowl and pour over the 150ml brandy and hot water. Leave the fruit to soak at least overnight, or up to a week in advance!
2. Preheat oven to 155°C/135°C fan/gas mark 2.
3. Double-line a heavy duty, 20-cm/8-inch cake tin with greaseproof paper (you need two layers of paper in the tin, as it’s a long baking time and you want an even bake!).
4. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and dark brown sugar with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
5. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and add in the eggs, one at a time, until all have been incorporated.
6. Fold in the wholemeal flour, spices, salt and ground almonds with a wooden spoon.
7. Then, with your mixer on a low speed, mix in the pre-soaked fruit, lemon juice and zest.
8. Pour the batter into your double-lined cake tin, then cover with foil and place on the middle shelf of the hot oven.

TOP TIP – Your fruit cake can be made 4 months in advance to mature, or used after a couple of weeks.