To make common biscuits is a traditional British recipe, based on Hannah Glasse's recipe of 1747, for a classic Georgian/Regency biscuit (cookie) of an egg, flour, sugar, sack and rose water batter that's dropped onto baking trays, baked, cooled and then dried in a low oven. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To make common biscuits.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Hannah Glasse's 1747 volume The Aft of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, the classic Georgian cookbook.
To make common biſcuits.
BEAT up ſix eggs, with a ſpoonful of roſe-water and a ſpoonful of ſack, then add a pound of fine powdered ſugar, and a pound of flour ; mix them all well together, ſhape them on white thin paper, or tin moulds, in any form you pleaſe. Beat the white of an egg, with a feather rub them over, and duſt fine ſugar over them. Set them in an oven moderately heated, till they riſe and come to a good colour, take them out ; and when you have done with the oven, if you have no ſtove to dry them in, put them in the oven again, and let them ſtand all night to dry.
Modern Redaction
These are biscuits in the strict sense of the name in that they're twice baked, the first time to cook them and the second time to dry them so they can be stored for a long time.
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 tbsp rose water
1 tbsp sack (sack is mead flavoured with herbs [see recipes for English Sack and Saratoga Wine] but can be replaced by sweet Madeira with a little honey and a splash of vermouth added)
450g powdered sugar
450g plain flour
1 egg yolk, to glaze
powdered sugar, for dusting
Method:
Beat the eggs in a bowl until frothy then work in the rose water and the sack. Work in the powdered sugar and the flour to form a thick batter (add a little milk if this is too thick.
Take spoonfuls of the batter and arrange on greased baking trays or on rice paper. Beat an egg white and brush this over the tops of the biscuits then dust with powdered sugar.
Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 50°C, return the biscuits to the oven and bake gently for about 90 minutes, or until dried.
