These are Crunchy Biscuits in the British sense–that is, they are crunchy cookies with a satisfying snap.
I found the recipe in Bigger Bolder Baking by Gemma Stafford [affiliate link], a book gifted to me by my mother-in-law. Gemma is Irish-born and now lives in America, and her fantastic cookbook has ingredients and cooking temperatures in both British and American measurements.
This small-batch recipe includes a quintessentially British ingredient, golden syrup, that has no real American parallel. I’ve seen some recommendations to substitute with half measures of light corn syrup and honey, and while that works as a liquid replacement, the flavor isn’t quite the same.
That said, golden syrup isn’t hard to find in America, it just tends to be expensive. Even in the wastelands of Phoenix, I could find Lyle’s Golden Syrup in the small British goods section of my local Fry’s (Kroger) chain.
Bready or Not: Crunchy Biscuits
Equipment
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- tablespoon scoop
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 2 2/3 cup rolled oats also called old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until it is soft and light in color. Add golden syrup. Follow up with the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, mixing until just combined.
- Use a tablespoon scoop to shape dough, rolling each lump briefly with hands to compress and flatten, then place spaced out two-inches apart on baking sheet. They will spread as they bake.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and set. Let them idle on the cookie sheet about 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
