Dandelion Biscuits
The dandelions are out in full bloom here - delighting bees and guinea-pigs alike. Last year we made wonderful dandelion honey, which is heavenly on ice cream or porridge - we’ll definitely make another batch this year.
Today though, we tested an online recipe (delishably.com) for dandelion biscuits and they were a real success! Fun to make - from collection to ‘de-petaling’ and then ‘bung-in-a-bowl - and wonderfully light to eat. You can see the petals in the biscuit, which makes them infinitely photo worthy and spring-like. With none of that dandelion milk bitterness, the petals aren’t particularly flavoursome (or perhaps they’re drowned out by the lemon) but they add a texture and appeal that we can’t resist!
Ingredients
- 20 dandelion flower heads
- 1 egg
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 100g sugar
- 125g soft butter
- 200g self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
Pinch each flower head and carefully pull the petals out, taking care not to include any green. A little twist helps, and pulling from the middle of the flower makes things easier. Too much green in with your petals will make the biscuits taste bitter, so if any falls in with the petals, carefully take the stray green pieces out before you cook with your dandelions.
Wash your lemon in hot water to remove any wax that may be coating it. This is a trick by producers to make the fruit appear glossy. Once cleaned, grate the skin finely and put the zest to one side. Squeeze the juice and save for later.
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350F or gas mark 4.
- In a mixing bowl, add the sugar to the butter and stir until soft and creamy.
- Whisk the egg until smooth. Add the lemon juice to the egg, then pour the lemon-egg mixture into your mixing bowl with the sugar and butter.
- Tip in the lemon zest and stir well.
- Sieve the flour as you weigh it, to make sure there are no lumps, and add a pinch of salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl bit by bit, stirring slowly to ensure that it is all blended nicely. When all of the flour is mixed in, add your dandelion petals and stir well until you have a sticky dough.
- Using a tablespoon, place a dollop onto a lightly-greased baking tray. Flatten it a little so it does not rise too much in the oven. They will spread out, so I would not recommend more than 6 biscuits on each baking tray.
- Place the tray in the middle of the oven, and bake for between 13-16 minutes, until they start to brown.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Serving and Storage
Once cooked, you will see the petals in your biscuits. The delicate flavour is just perfect with the zesty lemon.
Once cool, store in an airtight biscuit tin.
Recipe by Delishably.com