These vanilla snap biscuits from Donna Hay’s Modern Classics 2 cookbook are a favourite in our house.
The recipe is very quick and easy to prepare with store cupboard ingredients and the dough keeps in the fridge for a couple of days wrapped in glad wrap (and probably freezes ok too given the combination of ingredients). Best of all they a fun activity to do with Lady AB who likes to watch the Kitchenaid at work and cut out shapes with cookie cutters – and we all love to eat them!
Vanilla Snap biscuits (makes 40)
185g softened butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups plain flour – though I’ve used a mix of plain and self-raising flour before with no adverse results
1 egg
1 egg yolk, extra
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350F). Process the butter, sugar and vanilla in a food processor until smooth. Add the flour, egg and egg yolk and process again to form a smooth dough. Knead the dough lightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Any longer and you will need to let the dough soften a little so you can roll it.
Roll out the dough between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 5mm thick.
Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden – which is just enough time to roll out and cut another tray to put in the oven. Cool on wire racks.
The original recipe decorates the biscuits with a dusting of icing sugar but I think that’s too messy with a toddler, so we leave them plain.
