Hi friends, A few weeks ago, while I was baking some raisin
cookies on the fly, my memory was rekindled about some currant cookies that I knew from
my childhood. They were known as Garibaldi biscuits and were one of my favourite biscuits
to have with tea. They are a crunchy cookie that are not too sweet with currant raisins
sandwiched inside. So, after a few tests, today I’m happy to
share the recipe with you and I hope you’ll enjoy making these cookies at home.
If you remember these raisin biscuits or have any other favourite cookies from your childhood
too, leave us a comment below and let’s share some good memories.
The printable recipe for these currant cookies is available on our website, the link is in
the description below. I recommend using the metric measurement rather
than volume for this recipe. This recipe is really simple and comes together
rather quickly.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and the sugar.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
For a little tidbit, these biscuits originate from the UK and, according to Wikipedia,
was invented by Jonathan Carr in 1861. They were named them after Garibaldi
who was a popular Italian army general at the time.
Next, add the margarine. I am using a vegan buttery spread. Make sure the margarine is
very cold. Cut and fold the margarine with a butter knife into the flour.
Then rub the margarine into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles
fine breadcrumbs or coarse sand.
Now add the non-dairy milk and the vanilla extract.
Mix with your hand into a dough.
I believe there have been or are a few versions of these biscuits around the world.
One of them is a US version that is known as the “Sunshine” Golden Raisin or Golden Fruit Cookies.
I am not familiar with the US version but I think there might be some slight difference between the two.
The dough should be slightly crumbly, dry and non-sticky.
If the dough doesn’t hold together, add just a little more milk (a teaspoon or two)
but not too much. Place the dough in a container and refrigerate
for 30 minutes or freeze for about 10 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out and you’ll
also get a nicer texture. Meanwhile preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Farenheit
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and
place it on a large piece of parchment paper that is lightly floured.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick and keep
it as much as possible into a rectangular shape.
Sprinkle the currants over half of the surface of the dough and spread them out evenly.
Instead of currants, you can also use finely chopped sultanas or golden raisins or other
dried fruits like cranberries.
Gently fold the other half of the dough over, to sandwich the raisins. Roll onto the parchment
paper and gently press the currants while spreading and thinning out the dough a little
more. These cookies won’t spread when baked but
take care not to roll the dough larger than your baking tray.
Transfer the dough together with the sheet of parchment paper onto a baking tray.
Using a long sharp knife, score the dough into strips of 4 cm X 7 cm (1½ inches x 2¾ inches).
Score the knife less than halfway through the dough so that after the cookies are baked,
they will still be connected and you can pull the biscuits apart.
Glaze the dough with a mixture of non-dairy milk and the maple syrup.
Bake for 15 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Check after 10 minutes and keep
an eye on them to make sure they are not burning. After 15 minutes, remove the cookies from
the oven and allow them to cool. They will be soft when hot and will become crunchy upon
cooling. If you’ve ever had these biscuits before,
I’m sure you’ll agree that much of the satisfaction comes from gently pulling each
biscuit away from the slab. A distinct feature of the Garibaldi biscuits is that they come
in long slabs that are lightly scored to define each cookie. To get that same effect and so
that the cookies remain attached, it’s imperative to only score the dough before baking and
not cut through it.
These cookies aren’t too sweet. They are crumbly and slightly dry
and there’s no better way to serve them than with an aromatic cup of spiced tea!
The cookies will last for more than a week and even two weeks if kept well in an airtight
container. If they become soft after a few days, just reheat them in the oven for about
3 minutes and they will get their crunchiness back.
Check the description below the video for the link to the printable recipe.
If you make these cookies, please leave us your feedback and rate the recipe on our blog
as this helps other people too. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel
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Have a nice week! Bye.