Belgian biscuits

Photographer: Emma

There are times when blogging about a certain recipe that I feel at a complete loss for words.  This is one of those times.  I have sat down in front of my computer numerous times now quite confident that words will begin to flow and that I will be able to share with you, the reader, an interesting anecdote or story about these pretty, pink, heart-shaped biscuits. Alas, this is not so and time is no longer a luxury afforded to this introduction.  Fortunately enough however I do make one association with Belgian biscuits and that is that they are a favourite of my good friend Marty.  So Marty, I hope you are reading these words as this recipe is for you.

INGREDIENTS

Biscuits
1 ½ cups brown sugar
250g butter, softened
1 egg
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ mixed spice
2 tsp ginger
2 ¾ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cocoa
Raspberry jam

Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
Ingredients

Pink sugar crystals
¼ cup white sugar
Red food colouring

METHOD

Biscuits
1. Process butter, sugar and eggs until well combined. Add spices, flour, cocoa and baking powder and pulse until combined and mixture comes together to form a dough.
2. Divide dough in two, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C on bake and line 2 baking trays.
4. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5mm and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Place carefully on the baking trays and bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until very lightly golden (you don’t want them to brown). Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Icing
1. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and whisk in the milk and melted butter until you achieve a consistency which is spreadable but which will not drip off the biscuits. If it is not runny enough add more milk, drop by drop.

Pink sugar crystals
1. Place the sugar into a ziplock bag and add a few drops of red food colouring. Seal the bag and shake, working the red evenly through the sugar crystals.

To assemble
1. Take a biscuit and spread the underside with raspberry jam then sandwich another biscuit on the top. Spread the tops of the sandwiched biscuits with icing and then sprinkle with the pink sugar crystals. I sifted the sugar over the biscuits once I had sandwiched them altogether, it gives a more even finish.