Grantham Biscuits
Advantage of Granthams is twofold. First, they don’t need fancy ingredients like syrup, they use an egg. Second, they’re weird and fun. They’re hollow inside, with a crunchy top and chewy bottom.
Base is a BBC recipe. I’ve added some guesses if you have no scales.
Ingredients
100 grams of margarine (about quarter the usual small 450g tub)
350 grams of white sugar (maybe caster) (1 3/4 cups)
250 grams of self‐raising flour (2 cups)
1–2 tablespoons of ground ginger (but see variations)
One egg
Tools
Some kind of flat sheet or tray for baking
Some kind of big bowl for mixing
Oven
Maybe 1/3: 150°C, 300°F, Gas 3
If you’ve got an effective fan oven, maybe a notch lower.
Make
Spread margarine on the baking thing. If no better method, use loo‐roll
Paste margarine and sugar together (‘cream’) then mix in egg
Stir flour and ginger (or other spices) together
Mix the two and work into a dough. The dough should be kneadable, but otherwise soft
Out onto a table, then knead. You can bang with your fists, long as you don’t take too long about it, so the baking power in the self‐raising flour fizzes it’s last
Roll into balls. Recipes usually say walnut size. If that’s not helpful, try end joint of your thumb
Spread them out on the baking sheet. Granthams are not supposed to join, so they will need gaps like a finger‐size
Bake for half an album
Watch them as they cook. If you see them turn brown, even a tiny bit, get them out of the oven. See the discussion.
Variations
Vanilla essence. Few drops. Interesting difference
Can flavour with chocolate powder. I figure can probably use cinnamon etc. if that’s what is to hand. Ginger is traditional
Discussion
Granthams self‐raise so that’s ok. You need that soft dough, if it’s not, adjust with flour or maybe some milk.
After that, biscuits are about the cooking. Chiefs on TV near‐always have wonder‐even ovens in perfect climates and it’s seriously irritating. One thing you can do is get the oven going early, which will help get everything warm. Also, you can turn as cooking. If Granthams don’t rise to hollow, the result is still good. But burned biscuits are a fail. So watch closely. Soon as you see any brown, get them out of the oven. You can open the oven to check, because Granthams have enough puff in them not to be badly affected.
Granthams are different. And not a biscuit you get in shops, so you’re avoiding that comment. Oh, and Granthams store well, especially if you can stop air getting to them using clingfilm or a sealed box/tin.
References
History and all that, with in‐process photos,
Feedback
You need a bit of time to be doing something non‐essential. But I can tell you, Granthams are a cross‐cultural favourite. Maybe putting a smile on people’s faces is essential?