very
holiday has special foods attached to it and Easter is no exception.
Cakes, cookies, and breads play an important role during the Easter
period and every country has their customs. The English, for
example, are known for their
hot cross buns as well as this favorite, Easter Cookies
(Biscuits). They are delicious; full of ground cinnamon, currants,
and mixed candied peel. They are not too sweet which makes them especially
appealing with all the chocolate and other Easter candy floating
around.
Making cookies (biscuits) is definitely one of the more simple things to
bake. Cream the butter and sugar, add the
egg yolk, vanilla extract, and then the flour. Fold in the fruit and
enough milk to make the dough soft and pliable. We do have to roll out the
dough and cut it into shapes and since it is Easter, I thought an "egg"
shape would be appropriate. To make the tops of the cookies nice and
brown, we do have to brush them with beaten egg white about halfway
through baking. I also like to sprinkle them with a little extra white
sugar which adds sparkle and crunch. These cookies keep very
well and are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177
degrees C) with rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment
paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of
your electric
mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until
light and fluffy
(about 2 minutes). Beat in egg yolk and vanilla extract.
In a
separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to
the egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the currants and chopped mixed
peel and enough milk to give a fairly soft dough.
Transfer the dough
to a lightly floured surface and roll out to a thickness of 1/4 inch (5 mm). Cut
into shapes using your favorite cookie cutter. Place on the prepared baking
sheet.
Bake in the
preheated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. While the cookies are baking, in a
small bowl, lightly beat the egg white. Remove the cookies from the oven and
brush the tops of the cookies with the lightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with a
little granulated white sugar (if desired) and return to the oven for another 5
minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to
cool.
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