Fresian tea biscuits

[vivacity]

My husband and his daughter made these biscuits today - a first for the two of them preparing something in the TMX. The original recipe called for the flour and cornstarch to be mixed in bit by bit, but we just bunged everything in to the machine and trusted the TMX to blitz everything. It worked.

These biscuits are very simple but delicious. Ideal if visitors are expected in the afternoon and you've run out of biscuits. (Please don't even THINK about replacing the butter with margarine or one of those disgusting butter "replacements" ).

250 g      butter, cut into chunks
150 g     sugar
2 sachets of vanilla sugar or equivalent amount of TMX vanilla sugar
2     egg yolks (keep the 2 egg whites for later!)
300 g    flour
100 g    cornstarch

Place these ingredients in the TMX and blitz on speed 5 until dough comes together. Cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 225 C.

Mix 200g chopped almonds and 200g sugar on a plate.

Form 4 rolls of dough on a pastry mat. Whisk 2 egg whites and use a pastry brush to brush the rolls. Roll each of the rolls in the almond/sugar mixture to cover evenly. Then cut the rolls into 1/2 cm thick slices and place on a baking tray that is covered with baking paper.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

I would have added some cinnamon to the almond/sugar mix to make it more Christmassy.

Source: www.chefkoch.de

members' comments

Trudy - Didn't have any vanilla sugar so used a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Waiting for them to cool down to have a taste  - they look nice!!!  I also turned the heat down a little to 200^oC (not fan forced).

[bron]

They sound delicious! Would love to see a photo of what they should look like.....do they just have the almonds then around the edges?

[judydawn]

How much would 2 sachets of vanilla sugar weigh Vivacity?  Mine is in a jar so I would need to measure it out. Sound good to me.

[trudy]

Can't wait to make them!!!

[Thermomixer]

They sound good - good to see the family getting involved.

JD - try about 2 Tbsp in total.  It depends a bit on how strong the vanilla sugar is too.

[cookie1]

They sound delicious.  I wonder why they are called Fresian biscuits? 

[judydawn]

Maybe the cows like them 

[cookie1]

Oh Judy, that is exactly what I thought. In fact I typed it in and then thought people may think I'm really crazy. When I saw the recipe I was sure they would be black and white. We must have the same warped brilliant sense of humour.

[vivacity]

Yes, they have the almonds around the edges. My step-daughter would rather eat her own eyeballs than even nibble an almond, so we made these without almonds, just brushed the rolls with egg white and then rolled the pastry sausages in cinnamon sugar before she cut them into 1/2 cm slices. They come out from the oven quite soft but turn crispy as they cool down.

I suppose they are called Fresian tea biscuits because Friesland in Germany is a region where people still have a tea culture. It's all about blue and white teacups, roughly chopped white and brown sugar, etc, etc.

Apparently, according to the author of this recipe, you can leave the biscuits  in a biscuit tin for a couple of weeks and they taste even better.

[Thermomixer]

Apparently, according to the author of this recipe, you can leave the biscuits  in a biscuit tin for a couple of weeks and they taste even better.

I love a cook with a sense of humour !!!!!    TWO WEEKS - I don't think they would last 2 days 

[cookie1]

Thanks for that information Vivacity. I'll have to try them.

[trudy]

I have just made these.  Didn't have any vanilla sugar, so used a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Waiting for them to cool down to have a taste  - they look nice!!!  I also turned the heat down a little to 200C (not fan forced)

[judydawn]

I  just knew you'd make these Trudy 

[trudy]

You know me well Judy!!!!