Mince pies and Christmas pudding aren’t the only sweet treats served at Buckingham Palace, of course. Luckily for those of us not dining with the Royals this holiday, a palace pastry chef has revealed (via the Official Royal Family Website) another one of the Queen’s festive favorites — gingerbread biscuits. And the secret recipe has been shared online for you to try.
With only a few ingredients, it’s the kind of recipe you can whip up last minute with ingredients you already have if you’re behind on your holiday baking. Of course the decoration on the biscuits at Buckingham Palace will be the definition of perfection, while the rest of us are left to struggle with keeping the lines straight, but none-the-less, it will be fun to have a taste of one of the things the beloved monarchy loves most at her Christmas table.
One tip offered by a royal pastry chef said, “It’s always best to let the dough rest, so it’s great if you can make the dough the night before.”
Keeping the biscuits cool also helps them keep their shape when it’s time for baking. “You can also roll out the dough, cut the shapes and put them in a freezer for an hour,” the chef continued. “This ensures they keep their shape nicely.”
To make the Royal Gingerbread Biscuits:
Ingredients
- 200 grams self-raising flour
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 100 grams of butter
- 75 grams dark brown sugar
- 25 grams of granulated sugar for dusting
- 45 grams milk
- Icing for decoration
Directions
- Sift together the flour and spices. Add the diced butter and crumb together with your fingertips.
- Add the milk to form a paste. Wrap in film and allow to rest for minimum 2 hours (best if left overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Roll out to about 3mm thick (or a thickness of your own liking). Cut the shapes out and lay them on a greaseproof paper or silicon mat. Sprinkle with granulated sugar before baking until set.
- Allow to fully cool on cooling rack before decorating.
Also see, What Queen Elizabeth eats everyday.
