The Perfect Base Biscuit: for Rum Balls, Truffles, Cheesecakes, Crunchy Cake Layers and More…

“Nine times out of ten, you aren’t having a full-on nervous breakdown – you just need a cup of tea and a biscuit.” Caitlin Moran

A simple biscuit might not be the dream of excitement for many consumers due to lacking the elegance, sophistication and exotic flavour combinations that some cakes and desserts have. It is, however, certainly the kind of thing that ought to come as standard rock for the soul in many of life’s crisis situations, along with a friendly chat and a hot drink. Beyond that, as a baker, I use biscuits for many thing, that will give the pleasure, the thrill and glamour the biscuit might misses to provide for some people… as a truffle ingredient…as a rum ball solid…as a cheesecake base…as a crunchy cake layer…as a delicious cover for outside of bakes…as a crumble topping…Get the recipe right, and one will be set for life.

  

Ingredients
50 g wholewheat flour
50 g spelt flour
100 g medium oatmeal
50 g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
A little pinch of the following spices: ground ginger, cinnamon
100 g butter
1-2 tablespoons milk

 

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Mix together all of the dry ingredients and rub in the butter to a breadcrumb texture. Add enough milk to create a moist pastry consistency. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm the mix. This creates a reasonably delicate dough so it’s important to roll to about 3 mm thickness between the sheets of cling film very gently. Cut into discs, and keep re-rolling until all dough is used. Place the discs on a lined baking sheet and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for five minutes before transferring onto a wire rack.

“Any time is biscuit time!” Raja R. Archie

 

Adding 175 g melted chocolate, 200 g sugar, 3 tablespoons honey, 125 ml rum to 450 g of these biscuits crushed, formed to balls and rolled into 125 g desiccated coconut, will result in the most delightful rum balls…