Seriously I have been baking for over 30 years and cannot make biscuits! They either sit in a lump or spread and join up...tell me why please!

player_smurf - 2011-09-07 13:27:00

I don't know why it happens but I'm the same...a really bad biscuit maker, especially the dough type ones.
I found this very easy recipe that even my 10yr can make and it seems to be fool proof!

Chocolate Chip Cookies....
100g butter or marg, softened
100g soft brown sugar
1 egg
1t vanilla essence
150g self-raising flour
75g porridge oats
50g choc chips or drops
50g white choc drops
Oven 175C fan bake. Beat butter/sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix again. Sieve in flour and mix in. Add oats and both white and milk chocolate and mix all together.
Put generous spoon full of mixture (lumpy heaps are ok!) onto lined baking sheet and bake for about 8min then move to lower rack in oven and continue baking for futher 5 or so mins.
Cool on tray for cpl of minutes and then move to cooling rack.
Should make about 20 biscuits.

Mine are in oven as I type and smelling very yummy.
Good Luck

niixs - 2011-09-07 13:50:00

There have been many threads on this exact same problem. It seems that hardly anyone understands that the problem is usually in the creaming.

When the recipe says "cream butter and sugar" that is exactly what it means. Beat the bejesus out of it till it looks pale and creamy and there are no sugar granules visible. Now this is easier said than done. I overcame the problem many years ago by first just creaming the butter. Beat it until it is pale in colour. Then add the sugar 1/3rd at a time. Others in here have suggested using caster sugar which I think is infinitely sensible. Just be careful to measure by weight as caster sugar is smaller and you can get more by volume.

Once you have the creaming problem cracked you'll never make another dud batch of biscuits again. They'll be perfect every time, just so long as you follow the recipe instructions for making the rest of the biscuit.

I know most may not agree with me but I used my old Edmond's recipe book for many years and every recipe was perfect. I never had a failure and the range of biscuits is also almost complete. If I ever wanted to make biscuits I'd first go to my Edmonds or, maybe I'd dig out my Annabelle White's American Chocolate Brownies recipe.

You cannot go wrong with American Chocolate brownies. No creaming at all and always perfect. They are just 'length of cooking' sensitive i.e. they need to be tested or they come out a tiny bit too soft and gluggy.

Edited by buzzy110 at 2:56 pm, Wed 7 Sep

buzzy110 - 2011-09-07 14:41:00

Annabelle White's Brownie

Ingredients:
100g Cocoa
200g Butter - melted
400g or 2cups Caster Sugar (This is not a misprint!)
4 Eggs
1tspn Vanilla (I assume this is essence rather than powder)
90g Flour
1tspn Baking Powder
200g Chocolate Chips

Method:
Sift Cocoa into a large mixing bowl
Add melted Butter, Sugar, Eggs and Vanilla
Mix to a smooth paste
Sift together Flour and Baking Powder and then add the chocolate chips
Pour mixture into a 20cm X 30cm Swiss Roll tin
Bake in a preheated oven at 150dC for 65mins
Mixture should feel slightly undercooked. Slice when completely cooled.

buzzy110 - 2011-09-07 14:56:00

The member deleted this message.

elliehen - 2011-09-07 15:14:00

I feel your pain. Check out the "scones" thread. I can't make them to save myself. Not too much trouble with biscuits though, usually pretty good with just the occasional flop/failure/disaster!

kuaka - 2011-09-07 19:28:00

my daughter diplomatically says i am better at cooking than baking and to please buy biscuits!

sammysmum - 2011-09-07 19:33:00

my daughter diplomatically says i am better at cooking than baking and to please buy biscuits!

sammysmum - 2011-09-07 19:36:00

This is s great biscuit recipe - no creaming required and they don't spread too much:
Chocolate Cornflake Biscuits
150g butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chocolate drops
2 cups cornflakes ( I crush them a little bit)

Melt butter in a large saucepan on the stove or large bowl in microwave.
Stir in sugar. Cool. Stir in egg and vanilla essence. Sift flour and baking and stir into butter mixture with chocolate chips and cornflakes. Combine well. Break off tablespoons of dough and placed on greased oven trays. Press top of biscuits lightly with a fork.
Bake at 180 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes
Makes 24

jascas - 2011-09-07 20:09:00

Re:any baking failures-remember to have fresh Baking-powder,it only lasts a few weeks before losing it's oomph.Chuck,and replace.

schnauzer11 - 2011-09-07 20:24:00

buzzy110 wrote:

There have been many threads on this exact same problem. It seems that hardly anyone understands that the problem is usually in the creaming.

When the recipe says "cream butter and sugar" that is exactly what it means. Beat the bejesus out of it till it looks pale and creamy and there are no sugar granules visible. Now this is easier said than done. I overcame the problem many years ago by first just creaming the butter. Beat it until it is pale in colour. Then add the sugar 1/3rd at a time. Others in here have suggested using caster sugar which I think is infinitely sensible. Just be careful to measure by weight as caster sugar is smaller and you can get more by volume.

Once you have the creaming problem cracked you'll never make another dud batch of biscuits again. They'll be perfect every time, just so long as you follow the recipe instructions for making the rest of the biscuit.

I know most may not agree with me but I used my old Edmond's recipe book for many years and every recipe was perfect. I never had a failure and the range of biscuits is also almost complete. If I ever wanted to make biscuits I'd first go to my Edmonds or, maybe I'd dig out my Annabelle White's American Chocolate Brownies recipe.

You cannot go wrong with American Chocolate brownies. No creaming at all and always perfect. They are just 'length of cooking' sensitive i.e. they need to be tested or they come out a tiny bit too soft and gluggy.

Well said buzzy, and I still use my really old version of the Edmonds book, the new one is different! Still can't go past the good old vanilla biccies (replace the sultanas with choc chips) and the shrewsbury biccies, never fail!

kinna54 - 2011-09-07 23:26:00

schnauzer11 wrote:

Re:any baking failures-remember to have fresh Baking-powder,it only lasts a few weeks before losing it's oomph.Chuck,and replace.[/quote

Yep, this is the one item I never replace with a budget variety, I do insist on buying Edmonds, and it does keep longer, (let's face it you only use a tsp or 2 per bake so you need it to stay fresh, and who can afford to waste ingredients, false economy to scrimp on this item) a tip I learnt years ago is to always shake the container lightly to "activate" the rising agent in the baking powder ingredients, and stir the contents gently before measuring.

Edited by kinna54 at 11:34 pm, Wed 7 Sep

kinna54 - 2011-09-07 23:32:00

Another tip for crisp biscuits is to leave them on the tray until cooled down. They can seem quite soft when you take them out of the oven but will crisp up nicely if left to stand on the tray till cool.

camper18 - 2011-09-08 16:34:00

schnauzer11 wrote:

Re:any baking failures-remember to have fresh Baking-powder,it only lasts a few weeks before losing it's oomph.Chuck,and replace.

While baking powder does lose its oomph over time - it is certainly not in a few weeks. The recommended time for baking powder replacement is 6 months. To test if it is still active you can put 1 teaspoon of baking powder into 1/2 cup hot water, it should start to fizz immediately.

daisybel - 2011-09-27 11:15:00

Oh i've had my baking powder for about 5 years! I use salf raising flour tho

j96 - 2011-09-27 15:09:00

Buzzy is dead right, plus it also depends on the recipe, the oven etc. There are many tried and true recipes at http://brama-sole.co.nz/recipes/filling-the-tins/ that some may wish to give a go.

flower-child01 - 2011-09-27 15:52:00

I also make "dough type" cookies in the kitchen whizz.
just made a gorgeous batch with granddies. I actually got some of the dough actually made into biccies before the rascals ate it all!
I just use the Edmonds Shrewsbury bic recipe and it's spot on every time, great for using with cutters.
Flour the cutters, and if mix feels a litttle soft, add a bit more flour on the rolling pin as you go.

kinna54 - 2011-09-27 17:48:00

Posting for you, hope you have success with this.

Shrewsbury Biscuits *(adapted for making in the kitchen whizz)*

125g butter softened (or margarine)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP grated lemon rind
2 cups flour
1tsp baking powder
Raspberry jam (to fill if desired)

Place butter and sugar in the whizz and cream together.
Add egg and lemon rind and whizz again to combine.
Add sifted flour and baking powder, using the machine on pulse while the mixture is combining.
Turn onto a floured board, knead lightly and roll out to about 4mm thickness
Note: roll out part of the mix at a time, as it’s much easier to handle., and over handling can toughen the mixture.
Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake on greased oven trays at 180 deg. for 10-15mins.
When cold biscuits can either be sandwiched together with raspberry jam, with the top biscuit dusted with sifted icing sugar, or biscuits can be left single and dusted with sifted icing sugar.

edited to say: I use marg for this recipe, creams better and makes a "shorter" type of biccie.

Edited by kinna54 at 5:54 pm, Tue 27 Sep

kinna54 - 2011-09-27 17:52:00

I can personally say that the recipes here for biscuits work well
http.www.foodlovers.co.nz - go to recipes and search biscuits
if you are hesitant I would suggest trying something basic like a chocolate chip biscuit first off.
With self raising flour - make sure you give the bag a good shake before using to ensure that the raising agent is evenly distributed.

Edited by daisybel at 11:41 am, Tue 4 Oct

daisybel - 2011-10-04 11:39:00

kuaka wrote:

I feel your pain. Check out the "scones" thread. I can't make them to save myself. Not too much trouble with biscuits though, usually pretty good with just the occasional flop/failure/disaster!

hey hon do the destitute gourmet scones
i know this thread is about cookies but 2 cups cheese 2 cups self raising flour pinch salt and then enough milk to form a really wet but still held together dough its like a cup cup and a half i can never remember but the mixture is wet and goopy without be a sloppy mess
then i put huge spoonfuls on a baking papered tray and cook 180ish for about 15mins
let me tell you any fool can make these
and they come out huge fluffy and are consequently gone in minutes drat and then you have to make some more

Edited by pheebs1 at 12:21 pm, Tue 4 Oct

pheebs1 - 2011-10-04 12:21:00

re the spreading anytime i make those choc chip ones they come out like frisbees! ha its the darndest thing
i find for me a mix of self raising flour and plain works
as too much flour you get little cakes not enough you get flying saucers
all good fun

pheebs1 - 2011-10-04 12:23:00

I have to watch I don't overcook, our oven is a very basic and not very hot gas one so recipes usually take longer. If it's something I'm making for the first time it makes it hard. And I have to allow for the fact biscuits cook a little more as they cool down or else I make rock hard ones!!

wildflower - 2011-10-04 15:55:00

recycling for tips and recipes

bev00 - 2012-10-03 22:31:00

schnauzer11 wrote:

Re:any baking failures-remember to have fresh Baking-powder,it only lasts a few weeks before losing it's oomph.Chuck,and replace.

Aha! Thx! I've often wondered about that. Does it still lose its "oomph" even though you keep lids tightly sealed?

Edited by matuq at 5:43 am, Thu 4 Oct

matuq - 2012-10-04 05:42:00

Jelly Bean Biscuits
Recipe from local paper

1/2 cup sugar
75gr butter or margerine
1 pkt chocolate (or other) instant pudding
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp BP
jelly beans

Method
Cream butter and sugar, add instant pudding, than eggs and dry ingredients. Put in spoonfuls on baking paper on cold tray then press with fork. Put one jellybean on top of each biscuit, pressing in firmly. Bake 15 minutes at 180degC.

rainrain1 - 2012-10-04 07:51:00

I seriously can't make biscuits either...however I came across Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall(sp???) Choc chip/chunk cookies and they are awesome to make and so easy that I make 1-2 batches every week. They do spread out on the baking tray so I need to remember to spread them out, and end up making 2-3 trays. They are so no-fail.
His quote is that if you like chunky chocolate use bigger chunks which I do. I made them with good quality dark chocolate but discovered that the new white/raspberry chocolate works too.
I can post the link if interested.

terachaos - 2012-10-04 09:26:00

terachaos wrote:

I seriously can't make biscuits either...however I came across Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall(sp???) Choc chip/chunk cookies and they are awesome to make and so easy that I make 1-2 batches every week. They do spread out on the baking tray so I need to remember to spread them out, and end up making 2-3 trays. They are so no-fail.
His quote is that if you like chunky chocolate use bigger chunks which I do. I made them with good quality dark chocolate but discovered that the new white/raspberry chocolate works too.
I can post the link if interested.

Interested, please :o)

matuq - 2012-10-06 08:32:00

buzzy110 wrote:

When the recipe says "cream butter and sugar" that is exactly what it means. Beat the bejesus out of it till it looks pale and creamy and there are no sugar granules visible. Now this is easier said than done. I overcame the problem many years ago by first just creaming the butter. Beat it until it is pale in colour. Then add the sugar 1/3rd at a time. Others in here have suggested using caster sugar which I think is infinitely sensible. Just be careful to measure by weight as caster sugar is smaller and you can get more by volume.

Consistency of the butter is important. It's not melted, preferably a nice spreading butter. Just warming it a little is good. In the days before microwaves we put hard butter in a bowl inside another bowl that had warm water to stop it being too hard.

Edited by olwen at 9:15 am, Sat 6 Oct

olwen - 2012-10-06 09:14:00

This is easiest biscuit recipe I know and I use a food processor. Makes a light texture biscuit.

125 gm butter (I always use butter and dont know if it works with substitute)
1/2 C sugar
1 C self raising flour (or plain with 1t baking powder added)
1 and half C cornflakes
1/8th t salt.

Put cornflakes into bowl and whizz. (I forgot to whizz first one day and it still was ok ) Then throw in everything else and whizz hard.
Put spoonfuls on greased baking tray and flatten with fork.

Bake 10 mins at 180.

Easy to double this recipe. Can substitute cornflakes with bran flakes or other flake type cereal. I often use up stale ones eg millet or rice flake type. Havent forgotten egg - it doesnt need egg. Good luck.

Edited by hesian at 10:41 am, Sat 6 Oct

hesian - 2012-10-06 10:38:00

This message was deleted.

very_hotpants - 2012-10-06 11:10:00

matuq wrote:

Interested, please :o)

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-wh
ittingstall/chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe

terachaos - 2012-10-06 20:12:00

If they sit in a lump, too much flour. Spread out and join up, too much butter. Biscuits are also better using standard oven, not fan bake.

patcath1 - 2012-10-06 21:48:00

I agree with others who have said there are lots of elements that affect the final outcome. Whether you fan bake or just bake, whether the recipe has eggs or not, personally I think they spread better without eggs, temperature of the oven. I guess you have to know your oven, whether it cooks a little hot (with fanbake I think you can afford to turn the heat back a little) whether you cook with butter or margarine. These are some factors that affect the overall outcome. My motherinlaw says biscuits cook in a cool oven like 130C but I don't entirely agree. Different temps for different recipes.I have a large oven & always fanbake my biscuits. Three quarters of the way through I change the trays around top to bottom, to finish them off. The following is a newer recipe but is successful. Also I think biscuits spread better being cooked with butter rather than margarine.
Honey Biscuits:
Melt: 250gr butter
1 cup sugar
2 tabs honey
Add: 2 tsp baking soda
2 cups cornflakes
2 cups flour
Mix altogether, & place small spoonful’s onto a lined tray. Roll into balls & press flat with a fork. Fan bake @ 150C for about 10-15 mins.
THese are yummy so hope they work for you & you enjoy them!

macandrosie - 2012-10-07 18:26:00

To Jascas--A great recipe. Many thanks

dalkemade - 2012-10-08 19:56:00

To prevent spread:
1. don't have the butter really soft, just enough to get it mixed ok
2. don't overcream butter and sugar for biscuits, just combine well
3. don't add too much liquid - dough should be fairly stiff
4. good idea to put them on the tray and stick in fridge for up to an hour before you put them in the oven.

annie.nz - 2012-10-09 13:14:00

helpful hints ..

bev00 - 2013-10-10 00:39:00

I find cookies hard too, they are either doughy or rock cakes. However, the gluten free ones come out yummy. so frustrating as everyone wants to eat the GF ones and leaves the gluten ones.

aw217 - 2013-10-10 21:30:00

seriously good recipes and tips

bev00 - 2014-10-11 00:54:00

Just buy them!

I can make nice chewy cookies but cannot make nice crunchy gingernuts nor can I make scones - this is why we have supermarkets - life's too short to worry about the little things!

sarahb5 - 2014-10-12 10:04:00

If you've been handed some tried & true fail safe recipes do you think your oven may be contributing to the problem?

macandrosie - 2014-10-14 19:23:00

Maybe you need to try these crackers - they seem to be fail safe:
http://jumpingjellybeans-jellybeans.blogspot.co.nz/2011/06/c
racker-crackers.html

uli - 2015-10-14 18:22:00

I tried those & with all due respect, they are savoury cracker biscuits (personally, I prefer Anabel Langbein's Lavosh) not sweet biscuits, which I believe the OP was asking about.
buzzy110 was spot on with the creaming advice at #3, imo.

samanya - 2015-10-14 19:42:00

player_smurf wrote:

They either sit in a lump or spread and join up...tell me why please!

Spreading.....the butter melts, Use less, and use butter not margarine which is squashy anyway.
Chill the dough too before baking.

lythande1 - 2015-10-15 07:11:00

some great recipes here

bev00 - 2016-10-14 23:15:00

buzzy110 wrote:

There have been many threads on this exact same problem. It seems that hardly anyone understands that the problem is usually in the creaming.

When the recipe says "cream butter and sugar" that is exactly what it means. Beat the bejesus out of it till it looks pale and creamy and there are no sugar granules visible. Now this is easier said than done. I overcame the problem many years ago by first just creaming the butter. Beat it until it is pale in colour. Then add the sugar 1/3rd at a time. Others in here have suggested using caster sugar which I think is infinitely sensible. Just be careful to measure by weight as caster sugar is smaller and you can get more by volume.

Once you have the creaming problem cracked you'll never make another dud batch of biscuits again. They'll be perfect every time, just so long as you follow the recipe instructions for making the rest of the biscuit.

I know most may not agree with me but I used my old Edmond's recipe book for many years and every recipe was perfect. I never had a failure and the range of biscuits is also almost complete. If I ever wanted to make biscuits I'd first go to my Edmonds or, maybe I'd dig out my Annabelle White's American Chocolate Brownies recipe.

You cannot go wrong with American Chocolate brownies. No creaming at all and always perfect. They are just 'length of cooking' sensitive i.e. they need to be tested or they come out a tiny bit too soft and gluggy.

That's interesting, buzzy and I've read the same before about needing to properly 'cream' the butter and sugar. I'm not so sure. I regularly turn out biscuits of several varieties that begin by instructing just that. I just half-melt the butter in the microwave, throw in the sugar and give it a good stir until no solid butter remains, still very grainy. I always get wonderful biscuits/cookies. I've been doing it too long for it to be just luck.

schnauzer11 - 2016-10-15 00:03:00

I too have biscuit drama, I found putting the mixture in the fridge for an hour and when I roll them I make a "tall" ball so they spread but are a chunky biscuit works

loren8 - 2016-10-19 15:18:00

I love baking biscuits, it's almost all I bake, pretty good at them too, even if I do say so myself

rainrain1 - 2016-10-19 15:40:00

When you can't make biscuits, make slices instead. :)

Edited by paora-tm at 6:31 pm, Wed 19 Oct

paora-tm - 2016-10-19 18:31:00

Don't be scared to try! Use the cheapest flour I can find, always sift it twice before using. Seems to have improved my baking. With biscuits always make sure the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl I'm mixing in and sticks to itself. If too dry add more liquid - water or milk until it looks right. Usually put oven on higher than recipe then turn down when I put it in. When it smells ready to eat, out it comes. Hope this helps!

sla11 - 2016-10-19 18:48:00

I find if the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl and balls around the beaters ,you will get perfect biscuits.Haven't tried this recipe as yet but a friend at work passed it on: 500 grams of butter, 1 tin of condensed milk, and 5 cups of self raising flour. Add sultanas,mixed fruit, chocolate chips or whatever to the mixture

lingling21 - 2016-10-23 21:34:00