Shrewsbury Biscuits (Shrewsbury Cakes)

5 from 5 votes

Shrewsbury Biscuits (Shrewsbury Cakes)

Shrewsbury biscuits are a quick, easy and popular classic British bake that's stood the test of time for centuries. Akin to thin shortbread and delicately flavoured with various optional additions these crisp and brittle biscuits are the perfect companion to a cup of tea.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Baking

Cuisine: British, Shropshire, West Midlands

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Biscuits

Calories: 102kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Equipment

1 Clean comb (fine-toothed)
Baking sheets

Ingredients

200 g Plain flour all-purpose
100 g Butter soft
100 g Caster sugar
1 Egg yolk large, free-range
Zest of a lemon finely grated
⅛ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Rose water optional
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon optional
¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg optional
50 g Currants optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 140C/ 280F/ GM 1 and line two heavy baking sheets with baking parchment.
Begin by creaming the butter and sugar together using electric beaters until light and fluffy.
Beat in the rose water (if using) and the egg yolk.
Sift the flour, salt and spices into the bowl. Add the grated lemon zest and the currants. Fold everything in using a metal spoon until the dough looks raggy.
Use your hands to bring the dough together in a ball then knead briefly on a lightly floured worktop until it holds it's shape well.
Roll out to 3-4mm thickness and use a 6cm fluted cutter to stamp out the biscuits. Reroll the dough once to cut out a few more.
Optional: decorate the biscuits using a comb and a cocktail pick: (1) Press a clean fine-toothed comb across a biscuit about ¾cm from the edge. Don't press all the way down - around halfway is fine. (2) Repeat on the other side. (3) Make 2 further indentations with the comb in between, leaving equal distances between each one. (4) Turn the comb 90 degrees and repeat. You should end up with a diamond effect. (5) Now use the cocktail pick to poke a hole into the centre of each diamond (push it all the way down).
Lay onto baking sheets lined with parchment and bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, rotating the trays after 10 minutes to ensure an even bake.
Cook until just beginning to colour then let the biscuits cool on the trays for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Use softened butter as it is much easier to cream and will make mixing in the flour easier.
Regardless, it will take a few minutes to work the flour into the creamed butter. This is normal.
And it's essential to get your hands into the bowl to bring the dough together.
The dough should be quite firm and not sticky, so don't be tempted to add milk or water.
Need to make them gluten-free and/ or vegan? Try this recipe.
Feel free to mess with the cutters - Shrewsbury biscuits are traditionally round but there's nothing wrong with veering from tradition.
Use a palette knife to move the biscuits to the baking sheet.
If kept in a reliable airtight container homemade Shrewsbury biscuits will stay crisp and brittle for at least a week. By far the best way I've found to store any biscuit or cookie is in a Kilner jar with a clip top lid.

Nutrition