1950s Easter Biscuits

When I was a child, a family friend – the sort of close friend that in the 1950s we children would call Auntie – always used to make Easter biscuits.

These crisp, spicy, curranty and sugary biscuits are the taste of Easter for me – like mince pies are the taste of Christmas.

Unfortunately I don’t have Auntie’s recipe but I have managed to make some Easter biscuits that taste much the same as the ones she used to make.

Many recipes for Easter themed biscuits include candied peel but the biscuits I remember only had currants – lots of currants!

In the 1950s food rationing in the UK had only just ended and currants were perhaps easier to obtain and certainly cheaper than candied peel.

They were quite a large biscuit and had a wonderful crisp sugary topping which was probably what we liked most about them.

Take a trip down memory lane with me this Easter and make a batch of my 1950s Easter biscuits.

1950s Easter Biscuits

Course: SnacksCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 12 ounces / 350 grams plain flour

• 6 ounces / 175 grams caster sugar

• 6 ounces / 175 grams salted butter softened

• 2 teaspoons mixed spice

• 6 ounces / 175 grams currants

• 1 large egg

• To finish

• 1 extra egg white and caster sugar

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 180° fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg and mixed spice.
• Add the flour and currants to the mixture and mix with your hands to form a soft dough.
• Roll out thinly on a well floured working surface and cut into rounds using a 4 inch / 10 cm cutter.
• Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Meanwhile, lightly whisk the extra egg white.
• Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush with the lightly whisked egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar.
• Return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until a pale golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• When completely cold they can be stored in an airtight tin.

Recipe Video

Easter Baking Recipes

Please take a look at my other Easter baking recipes – Traditional Easter Simnel Cake and Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday.

‘Happy Baking!’

Tanya