This is a simple biscuit recipe with plenty of flavours from warming spices and juicy sultanas. Spiced fruit biscuits are often served around festive occasions such as Easter and Christmas. In this recipe, the sugar content has been reduced by adding natural sweetness from dried fruit, and wholemeal flour has replaced some of the plain flour to increase the fibre content.
Serves: 20 – 30 biscuits
Dietary: Vegetarian, nut-free
Contains: gluten (flour), eggs, milk, and sulphides (sultanas, candied peel)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
115 g blended butter spread or margarine
40 g caster sugar
1 large egg, separated
100 g plain flour
100 g plain wholemeal flour
½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
50 g sultanas
1 Tbsp chopped, mixed candied peel
3 – 4 Tbsp milk
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 400oF/200°C/180oC Fan/Gas Mark 6 and lightly grease one or two baking sheets.
- Cream the sugar and butter spread together, then add the egg yolk.
- Sift flour and spices into the sugar mixture, and then stir in sultanas and mixed peel.
- Add a little of the milk, gradually stirring in enough to give a soft dough.
- Roll out to about 5 mm and cut into 5 cm rounds.
- Place on the baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
- Take the biscuits out and brush them with egg white.
- Bake for a further 5 minutes until golden.
This recipe has been donated by Catherine McNeill, Associate Registered Nutritionist
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Per biscuits:
Total calories: 80 kcal
Fat: 4.1 g
Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
Carbohydrate: 9.1 g
Total sugar: 3.5 g
Fibre: 0.7 g
Protein: 1.4 g
Salt: 0.07 g
NUTRITION FACTS
- These biscuits have much less sugar than many biscuit recipes, and by combining wholemeal with white flour, they are still treats but a healthier version.
- The wholemeal flour contributes to daily fibre intake (recommended to be 30g for an adult).
- Using a fortified blended butter or vegetable spread also adds to daily vitamin D intake – which is important for bone health. Vitamin D is quite hard to come by in food sources, and it is particularly important to keep up our intake, particularly in the winter.
VARIATIONS
- Use whichever dried fruit (currants, raisins or sultanas) you have to hand.
- Try dried apricots or apples for even more variation.
- Vary the spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger will give different results.
- Use a plant-based milk alternative to make a dairy-free version
Consumer Tested by Aoife Kelly, Student Nutritionist
Checked by Kathy Lewis, R.Nutr.,
© 2021 Caroline Walker Trust