Thursday, September 9, 2010

British Basil Biscuits

Say that three times fast....bet you just tried huh?

I first came upon these delicate little cookies while perusing the blog The Omnivorous Bear. The author of the blog, Wendy, is a lovely Brit who patiently deals with silly American girls who sometimes reads through posts too quickly and misinterpret British foodie terminology.

 It's kind of a funny story actually..

I saw these "biscuits" and thought yum.. basil biscuits? I wonder what she served them with? So I asked her..

Her response was kind, although she was probably wondering what the heck I was talking about..

She simply ate them... along side a cup of coffee perhaps...

What else would you do while eating COOKIES?!

Being one of my first (of many) visits to her site I didn't realize she was British. Biscuits=Cookies.

Basil cookies intrigued me even more than basil biscuits did!

I have to be honest, I had kind of forgotten about these cookies until I got a message the other day from Wendy on Twitter (you should totally follow me by the way) but I sure am glad she reminded me!

These cookies are definitely different, but different in a good way. They offer a unique flavor and a light buttery texture that will keep you coming back for more... and they're ridiculously easy to make too!

Word of warning, this is a weighed recipe so if you don't have a kitchen scale I highly recommend you go and spend the $20 at your nearest Bed Beth and Beyond.

Wendy's Sweet Basil Biscuits
Oven: 350 Bake time: 15-20 min
Makes about 15-20 biscuits

113g butter or 1 stick
60g sugar
60g almond meal (finely ground almonds)
110g AP flour
Handful of basil, finely chopped
Slivered almonds for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Add almond meal and then flour.
Mix until completely combined.
Finely chop your basil and sprinkle on counter or cutting board.
Turn out your dough and roll in chopped basil.
Form dough into log and cut into 1/2 inch cookies.
(I put my log in the fridge for a little to firm up)
Place sliced cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until edges of cookies are slightly browned.
Transfer to cooling rack.



Please go visit Wendy at The Omnivorous Bear, she infuses Vodka with basil and tomato!  If that doesn't spark your interest I don't know what would!

..and Wendy, I am still determined to get you a real American biscuit one day.

Happy Baking!