Ginger Biscuits: A Sweet-Spicy Staple from My Trusty Scrapbook
On my tried-and-true recipe list, Ginger Biscuits reign supreme. They’re ridiculously simple to make, and yet so versatile and special, especially when served with a sliver of creamy blue cheese and a chewy slice of dried fig or pear. EXTREMELY delicious. (Trust me.)
I was reminded just how moreish they are during a lovely Christmas Day at my sister’s house. She served them as part of a cheeseboard, and the familiar flavour hit me with a wave of nostalgia. Then the penny dropped…I gave her the recipe years ago! A full-circle moment.
That sent me straight back to my trusty old A5 recipe scrapbook, a real relic of my kitchen life. It’s filled with decades of cut-out magazine recipes, scrawled notes, and evidence of many happy spills: a dusting of flour here, a sticky thumbprint there. Think of it as real-life Pinterest, only glue-sticked and dog-eared. Proof that the desire to create something delicious existed long before social media trends and perfectly styled food shots.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s a place in the world for crunchy, store-bought gingernuts. But they can’t quite hold a candle to these homemade beauties. These Ginger Biscuits have a satisfying crunch on the outside with a slightly soft, chewy centre. Gentle on the ginger, but still packing warmth and comfort in every bite.
Ways to Enjoy Homemade Ginger Biscuits:
- With blue cheese & dried pear – the sharpness of the cheese paired with the sweetness of fruit and spice of the biscuit is a match made in heaven.
- Dunked in tea – especially a strong black tea or chai for extra spice-on-spice action.
- Crumbled over vanilla ice cream – adds texture and depth for a quick dessert upgrade.
- Served with a spiced stewed apple – for an autumn or winter dessert plate.
- Wrapped up for gifting: these biscuits make a lovely homemade gift.
This recipe really is one of those “make once, make forever” types. And when you bake them, your kitchen smells like warmth, memory, and comfort all rolled into one.
So, if you’ve got a few pantry staples and 30 minutes to spare, I highly recommend turning back to the classics. Your future self (and your snack plate) will thank you.
Ginger Biscuits
Ingredients
- 125g butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spice
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter then take off the heat and beat in sugar. Add egg and vanilla until well combined. I personally love vanilla paste (a wonderful texture and taste that beats imitation essence ‘hands down’).
- Into this mixture sift flour, baking powder, ginger and mixed spice. The dough at this point is very soft.
- The recipe calls for the mixture to be dusted on a floured board then shaped into a 4cm diameter cylinder. I find that you can skip this process, and the mess, by spreading out a large sheet of cling film (approximately the size of a bread board) and dollop the mixture in a sausage-shape along the length. I find it’s easy to manipulate the dough into a cylinder shape (kneading it as necessary through the cling film into that shape) without getting your hands nor the bench unduly dirty. Either way, the dough will need to be shaped in a tube and placed in cling film regardless.
- Place the wrapped dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until it firms up.
- Once firm, unwrap and cut into 4mm thick rounds.
- Place on a baking paper lined tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden.
- Leave to cool. Store in an airtight container.
