Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 180 g currants
- 30 ml brandy
- 90 g whole wheat flour
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 3 g salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 g cinnamon
- 1 g nutmeg
- 1 g allspice
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2½ ml vanilla extract
Glaze
- 120 g confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 20 ml milk
- 2½ ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 165 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 75 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Potassium
- 109 mg
- Calcium
- 17 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 41 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 49 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.08 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 7 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the dried currants and brandy in a small bowl and allow them to soak.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt in the mixer bowl.
Add the softened butter to the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the texture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
Whisk the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together in a separate bowl, then add to the mixer and combine on low speed.
Add the beaten egg, 2.5ml of vanilla extract, and the currants with their soaking brandy to the mixer.
Mix on low speed until the dough just begins to clump together.
Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead briefly until it forms a smooth ball.
Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1cm (3/8-inch).
Cut the dough into circles using a 6cm (2.5-inch) round cutter and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes at 175°C (350°F) until the biscuits are lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and let the biscuits cool slightly on a wire rack while still warm.
Whisk the sifted confectioners' sugar, milk, and the remaining 2.5ml of vanilla extract to create a smooth glaze.
Brush the glaze over the warm biscuits twice, allowing the first coat to set before applying the second.
Chef's Notes
- Traditionally, these biscuits are tied in bundles of three with a ribbon for gifting.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months
Troubleshooting
Biscuits are tough or rubbery
Cause: Overworking the dough after adding the flour and liquid
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Mix only until the dough just begins to clump; do not over-knead.
Glaze is too thin and runs off
Cause: Too much milk added to the sugar
Fix: Whisk in additional sifted confectioners' sugar until thickened.
Prevention: Add milk gradually to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
Cultural Context
Originating from the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, these biscuits are a seasonal English tradition for Easter Sunday.
