Orange Biscuits Recipe

I’m no expert baker, but there are a handful of simple recipes that I enjoy having a go at. This biscuit recipe is quick, simple and easy to follow, and doesn’t require many ingredients at all. I like that the recipe is versatile; if you don’t fancy making orange biscuits you could try it with different flavours such as vanilla or chocolate.

I use wholemeal flour to make the biscuits as it’s not only healthier than white flour but, in my opinion, it makes the biscuits taste better and gives them a thicker texture. In the past, I’ve made these biscuits as gifts and they look sweet placed in an old coffee jar with a piece of pretty ribbon tied round them. The biscuits take under an hour to make and trust me, if I can make them, you can too!

What you’ll need (makes 12 biscuits):

• 100g butter, softened
• 50g unrefined golden caster sugar
• 175g wholemeal plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Zest of 1 small orange
• 6 tbsp icing sugar
• 3 tsp fresh orange juice

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5.
2. Mix the sugar together with the softened butter until it’s creamy and light, then add in the orange zest. Stir in the baking powder until it’s fully mixed in.
3. Stir the flour into the mixture (only add a bit at a time) and mix together until a dough forms. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little extra flour.
4. Divide the mixture into 12 balls and press them down with a rolling pin to flatten them a little. Use your chosen cookie cutter to cut biscuit shapes out of the dough (any excess can be used to make extra biscuits).
5. Place the biscuits on a flat baking tray lined with non-stick baking parchment. Chill the biscuits in the fridge for 15 minutes.
6. Once chilled, bake the biscuits in the middle of the oven for 12-15 minutes until they turn a light golden colour.
7. Leave the biscuits on the baking tray for two minutes to cool, then with a palette knife move them to cool fully on a cooling rack.
8. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar and orange juice together in a bowl (add a little more orange juice if needed). Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and use a thin nozzle to decorate your biscuits. Finish off the decoration with a little orange zest and a sprinkle of icing sugar if you like!